These are precious words from the Apostle Paul.....  It took a while for this revelation in my heart to connect with my brain.  We are surrounded by people with a "works" mentality....  Many have questions like ..."Are you ready for the return of Jesus?", ...."Are you ready for the rapture?", ...."Have you confessed all of your sins, forgiven all who have trespassed against you?", ....."Have you paid all of your tithes?"  The problem was that I was constantly "sin-conscious".  My thoughts were about sin and how to avoid it, how to live a clean and sin free life....  My thoughts were about what "I" should do or should have done....  That is a life of bondage and misery.  It's mental torment and suffering....

 

     Christ came to set the captives free. (Luke 4:18)  But so often we turn right around and lock ourselves back into the bondage of legalism....  Set free from  the Law only to pick it up again.  WHY?  Because that's what we are "familiar" with...  It's all that we have ever known.

 

     So often we go to church on Sunday and leave confessing that "I am the righteousness of God in Christ." (2 Corinthians 5:21)   ....."No weapon formed against me shall prosper....". (Isaiah 54:17)  ....."I am more than a conqueror in Christ" (Romans 8:37).  And, we may even declare the same "truths" again on Monday,.... and perhaps Tuesday, if we are having a good week...  But by Wednesday, the doubt starts to creep in... (which is why we need mid-week church too...) .. and on Thursday we start confessing our sins again and start speaking words like "I'm just a poor old sinner saved by Grace..."  Perhaps by Saturday you are so convicted and convinced of sin that you may consider not even going to church again on Sunday... because,.."well, what's the use?"...  Then on Sunday, you go to church and the same weekly cycle starts again... "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.... " (Philippians 4:13)  It's a vicious cycle.  And it's wrong!  Christ died once, for all sin, forever....  Too many people resist the Grace message.  When you are saved, it is forever...  It's not like we have to play "tag" with God for the rest of our life.  It's a done deal.

MATTHEW 16:19  And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. 

 

     I've heard lots of sermons preached and many teachings taught throughout the years regarding many areas of the Bible.  One thing I have never heard from any pulpit or preacher is about binding an loosing in the Bible and how it relates to us, the Body of Christ... So, I will attempt to tell you about my first encounter with the teaching on Binding and Loosing.

 

     Sandy and I are reading the Bible through once again this year and several years ago as I was reading in Matthew it was evident in verse 18:18 that we are given power to bind an loose things here on the earth...  What, exactly, does that mean?  I had kind of a "foggy" idea of how that might work, but until our thoughts are put into action, we don't full comprehend the results that we will encounter.  If we speak to something... to anything (Mark 11:23-24) believing it to be done, it will happen...  So, if we command something to "stop" (bind it), it must stop.... and likewise, we can "unstop" (loose) things as well.

 

     One spring day, as I was working in a store in Wilkesboro, N.C., it was my lunchtime.  As was my habit, I took my lunch to the old Ford van that I was driving and parked under the shade of a tree to eat and do some Bible reading.  Much to my annoyance, a big pesky fly kept flying into the van and I would shew it away... after several attempts to get rid of that thing... eventually it flew in and landed on the dashboard, just out of reach... aggravated, and without even thinking about it, I looked directly at that fly, pointed my finger toward it and said "I bind you, in the Name of Jesus"...  To my amazement, it just froze in place!  I was kinda stunned and began to grin.....  I caught a glimpse of myself grinning in the mirror, and got tickled when the Lord spoke to me and said..."It's just that easy".  I thought "Wow, Lord, how cool is that!"  ....So I just proceeded to eat my lunch with that fly just staring at me..  and it reminded me of Psalm 23:5, where the Word says, "Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies...."  So, I finished lunch, read my Bible and it was time to return to work.....  The fly had not moved for over 40 minutes.  I started the van, put it into gear, and the fly still had not moved...  Then, I took the back of my hand and waved it toward that fly and simply said "go!".. and off it flew, out of the window...

    That was my first experience with the power of God's Word regarding "Binding and Loosing".  I would come to draw on the experience in the years to follow.... but with bigger pests than I encountered that day....  We often fail to realize the power of God who lives within us! 

 

     People point to the parable of Luke 18:1-7 regarding the unjust judge who was so persistently "nagged" by the pleading of that widow until the judge finally gave in and granted her request.  People think that this scripture is saying that we need to always pray and not faint (grow weary).  Yes, we should be in constant prayer.... but most of prayer (90%) needs to be worship and thanksgiving.

 

     Misunderstanding of this parable has produced confusion within the church body, and well meaning saints continue to hammer to God their repeated prayer requests....  It's the same "request" over and over ...and over again.  In the first place,... God is not deaf, and He hears our request the first time....  To ask again is to demonstrate that you doubted that the first request was ever heard, ... or worse, that your petition was "denied".  (Doubt cancels out many prayer requests, because it demonstrates unbelief Matthew 13:58)  Jesus, Himself, tells us in Luke 14:14 that "whatsoever" we ask in His name, He will do it.  Of course, it must be based on His Word...  (If you lust for your neighbors car, for example, asking God for it would be inappropriate...)

 

     The confusion over this parable leads many to petition God as this widow woman petitioned the unjust judge.  In the first place, God is NOT unjust.  He wants to give us the desires of our heart. (Psalm 37:4)  That being the case, to batter Him with the same requests over and over again and to solicit others  to pray in agreement over and over is rendering the efforts to an end of futility.  It's the traditions and doctrines of men that make the Word of God of none effect..... (Mark 7:7-9)
 
    I sometimes watch these World War II programs on the military channel, where the Germans fire artillery shells (flack) at the bombers in an effort to down the planes..  The idea was to send up as much "flack" as possible to get the desired results.  Some planes were lost, but the bombs still fell... God does not operate that way with believers.  How many artillery shells (Prayer) must we send up to get His attention?  One prayer from a true believer, with absolutely no doubt, will get the desired results.  One spoken prayer, without doubt, can move a mountain. (Mark 11:23)  How many mountains do you need moved?

 

     Prayer "chains" and prayer "meetings"... and "intercessory" prayer among the church body are all well intended, but there is really no scriptural basis for this.  It does benefit the Church body, however, as it brings everyone into an attitude of prayer, which is really good.  ....But often the understanding is that the more people that we have praying for a particular issue, the more likely God is to hear our petition.  It's like we think that the more we bombard heaven with prayer requests, the more likely God is to give in to our demands....  The truth is that we cannot wear God down with our multiple petitions...

 

     Often our prayers are based on Old Testament traditions, Old Testament examples.  But we need to understand that we now have a New Covenant....  Old Testament saints did not have Jesus....  They were always in a position of being an offense to God because of their sin nature.  There is a huge difference between Old Testament and New Testament prayers.  In the Old Covenant, it was impossible to have a heart change.  ....The entire nation of Israel had to come to  repentance... (over and over and over...)  And when the Hebrews would invade a land, God told them to kill everything... men, women, children and animals.... because there was no hope for a spiritual change.  It was like amputating an arm to save a body....  The human race was desolate and without hope,...until Jesus.  He changed everything.

 

     In the New Covenant, it is now possible for everyone to have a heart change.  There is hope for all... The Grace of God was exhibited through Jesus...  He is the only avenue to restoration with God.

 

     Most prayer today is Old Testament based.  We must understand, now, that we have Jesus to stand in for us in our hour of need.  That's the reason we are instructed to pray in His Name.  Power is released in His Name, so that whatsoever we ask in His Name, it will be done so "that the Father may be glorified in the Son." (John 14:13).

    Luke 11:9 does not tell us that we need "prayer chains" to pray and for thousands to intercede,...over and over again, but it does say that you knock and it shall be opened unto you. (Luke 11:10)  Jesus is not saying to knock, and knock ...and knock some more... and to keep on knocking and ....maybe He will grow weary and open the door.  It's always opened, immediately, and everyone receives.  Jesus is making this point: You do it!  He will respond with Love. (1John 4:8) 

 

     There are a lot of different things that people look at regarding Christianity.  Usually our faith is perceived from our past experiences.  A "positive" experience with a Christian, for example, casts a "positive" light on the faith.... (belief).  On the other hand, something "negative" that was experienced will certainly be looked upon as unfavorable with regards to Christ.  This unfavorable experience often can come from the news media, which, in America, is notorious for casting a negative slant on Christianity. 

 

     A news article about homosexuals in the priesthood is certainly negative.  God does not create homosexuals.... That's simply a lie put out by the devil.  There are no homosexuals on this planet....  (Does that sound like a radical statement?  It's not.  People have homosexual behavior, because they believe the lie that has been  told to them... and therefore act accordingly!)  The whole homosexual movement in the U.S. is a farce.  It's simply the work of the enemy, and we must look at it that way....  They are trying to pervert the entire society of America by forcing their belief system upon the rest of us.  They need deliverance...  Christ delivers.

    Homosexuals will tell you that they are "created that way".....  and they believe it to be a fact.  It's not.  However, there is a difference between "facts" and Truth.  Jesus is the Truth the life and the way. (John 14:6)  The Bible is the Truth and it never changes.  ....Facts can change, but the Truth is forever constant.  The fact is that homosexuality is an oppression....  The fact is that they can be delivered from that oppression.....  The Truth is that only Jesus can set them free. (John 8:32)

 

     Double jeopardy....  Legally speaking, this means that you can't be tried for the same crime twice.  Once you're set free, there is no return to trial for the same offense.  If you are found "guilty", certainly you do have the option to appeal the case to a higher court... But there is no guarantee that you will be acquitted.... however, once you are, the case is closed.

 

     Take the case of "salvation", as an example.  The "accuser" (Satan) made his case, ...and yes, I really was "guilty" prior to the judgment, ... the evidence was very clear...  In fact, I was born guilty and for my entire life I had compounded sin with all of my actions....  My only hope?...  My defense Council... who has never, ever lost a case... and my case was no exception...  His name?  Jesus of Nazareth.

 

     Standing before God at the judgment seat, my guilt (sin) was undeniable...  There was no natural means of escape.  The fiery wrath of God had to be satisfied....  And so it was, two thousand years ago on a cross at Calvary.  Jesus stood in my place, for my sin and my shame and my disobedience (yours too...), so that we could all be set free...  My Good Counselor took my place and accepted the wrath of God because of my sin nature....  As a result, I was found "Not Guilty" and set free....  I can never be judged again for my sins.....  I am released from bondage, ...now and forever.  God is not out to judge me again, in fact, it's His desire to bless me...  If God was to judge me again, it would be "double jeopardy" and He would be unjust if he were to judge any of us twice for our sin...  He will not place His wrath on both us and Jesus.  Our Father is not an unjust judge.

    Don't let anyone tell you that God is judging you after you are saved.  It's not His nature.  He is Love (1 John 4:8).  He does not give us cancer, arthritis, tumors, diabetes, or heart trouble ....or earth quakes, hurricanes, floods and tsunami's.,  That's the devil, who is a devious and cunning adversary, out to steal your life and render all believers ineffective.  Thank God that through Jesus we have power and authority over all attempts of the enemy to take our life... Don't let him push you around....  Push back!  It puts fear into the enemy camp when we resist the devil and invoke the Name of Jesus!  Resist the devil like you mean it!  The fire of God dwells within you and you can by no means ever be conquered... (Romans 8:37) 

Rick

MATTHEW 6:7  But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking. 

 

     Prayer meetings, while well intended, have a tendency to frustrate me....  Why?  Because so much of prayer is just vain repetition. (Matthew 6:7)  I visualize someone counting beads and repeating the same words over and over and over... for all the days of their life.  That's not what prayer is!  You can teach a parrot to do that.... and get the same results.  Simply to "say" prayers is not to pray.  We teach our children to pray; ..."Now I lay me down to sleep..." at bedtime, and "God is great, God is good, and I thank Him for this food...." at mealtime... but that is to teach them about God, to trust and be thankful.  Don't you think, as an adult, those words would be inappropriate as a means of communication with the Lord?

 

     We've got to learn to just tell the Lord what's on our mind... how we feel about something, ...and ask questions.  We need to talk to Him like He's our best friend, because He is.  As I eventually came to this understanding, the results of my own prayer life changed dramatically.  I expect miracles to happen now....  because I know Him and understand our relationship...

 

     Does prayer work?  Absolutely.  Can you prove it?... Scientifically?  Look at it this way, ...people tend to believe that miracles are only things which science cannot prove.  ...As if to imply that God does not operate in the "scientific" realm.  But then, who gave man knowledge to develop "science" in the first place?  Prayer works in conjunction with science and beyond science...  God is all,.... His is everything.  Without Him, everything that exists would not exist... He holds all things together. (Colossians 1:16-17)

 

     People who claim to be atheists or agnostics often say that some miracles, such as a person being healed of cancer, would have happened anyway (naturally), and that it does not prove that prayer works.. or that anyone actually prays with results....  Really?  Ask the cancer victim...  (Anyone who is sick is a victim of the enemy.)  God does not make people sick.  It's foolish to think that way.  God is Love. (1 John 4:8) ....and, NO, He doesn't "let" Satan make people sick either....  Satan is the ruler of this world (2 Corinthians 4:4). but he is not the "ruler" over God or God's people.  Too often we simply let the enemy push us around.. and we don't need to take any of his garbage.  We, through Christ, have dominion over all the efforts of the enemy... but we must exercise our authority.  It's embarrassing and humiliating the way so many "Christians" let the enemy intimidate us.  We have got to push back, resist him... (James 4:7)  

    Prayer meetings do serve a purpose, in that it does bring the body of Christ together in unity.  It's just frustrating how inappropriate and ineffective our prayer life and relationship with God has become...  The power of the entire universe lies within us, and is released through our spoken words....  We have got to move forward with our prayer life to be effective witnesses for God.  The Kingdom of heaven does not advance forward unless we  are stepping forward...

Rick

 ROMANS 12:2-3  And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good , and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.  For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.

 

     I went to the alter of the church a few years ago because I had a burning desire to have more of God in my life...  I wanted everything that the Bible says is available to me...  all the gifts of the Spirit.... I wanted an even deeper relationship than I was already experiencing.  I wanted all that God had for me...  The pastor came over to me as I was praying and asked what he could help me pray for... I simply  told him, "More of God..."  He looked at me kinda strange, laid his hand on my head and said, ..."Lord, Rick wants more of you in his life, I pray that you give him what he desires."  ....That was it....  I don't think the pastor realized what was on my heart, because there were many other people there desiring his attention....   As I thought about it after the service, it occurred to me that I didn't "need" anyone else to pray for me, God hears me just as easily as He hears the pastor.... any pastor.  I have a voice in heaven just like any other believer... The Word says (John 14:14) to ask anything in His name and He will do it....  Of course, we have to ask according to His will... (His Word)  And His Word tells me that all of the gifts of the Spirit are available to the Saints.....  You have but to ask....  So, I did.  And revelation of Christ and His finished work just exploded in my spirit...and continues today.

 

      The key to that whole experience lies right here in 2 Peter 1:2..... "Grace and peace (is) multiplied to us with the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord."  I came to understand that we cannot possibly have more faith than we had at our day of Salvation.  We have all been given THE measure of faith.... (Romans 12:3).  We all got the same measure.  We all have an equal amount of faith... but it's in the application of that faith that we see Grace abound.  (Jesus used the example of a grain of mustard seed...(Mark 4:31-32), which is certainly not all that we were given with "The Measure".

 

     So, in reading, ....and hearing, .....and reading, ...and hearing the Word, the knowledge of God and Jesus became more foundational for me..... And the deeper that relationship was established, the better I understood the message of Grace... (Romans 12:2) which alone gives peace.  So first there was a deeper knowledge of Christ, followed by knowledge of Grace and how it works, resulting in peace.... followed by the Gifts of the Spirit...

 

     It's all about foundational relationship and greater knowledge of who God is, and knowing who you are in Christ.  You've got to have revelation knowledge of who you are in Christ.  Many Christians don't understand that relationship.  The deeper you mine into the Word of God, the more gems you will uncover....  I'm still mining... You too?

Rick