Don’t Let Go... When this statement came to my spirit, as I was preparing to start my day on Tuesday, I immediately thought of a fellow in the bible, named Eleazar....He’s found in the book of 2nd Samuel and he was one of David’s mighty men. There were 30 men in this circle of elite warriors, and the three were the elite among the elite! Ishbosheth, the son of Hachmon was the leader of the Three Warriors. In one battle, he killed 800 men with his spear. (He wouldn’t let Go) Shammah stood in the middle of a field that was being ravaged by the Philistines and slew an entire companyof Philistines. The crops were saved, and the Lord gave Israel a great victory. (He wouldn’t let go) In 2 Samuel 23:9 we see the 3rd warrior in this elite group..... that really got my attention....it says.... “Every one of the Israelite soldiers turned and ran, v10 except Eleazar. He slew thePhilistines until his hand was fixed to the sword, so that he couldn't let go”. (that means it had become an extension of himself You couldn’t tell where Eleazar ended and the sword began) When Eleazar finished, all the Israelite troops had to do,was come back and take the spoils of the enemy, and theirweapons and armor. The Lord gave Israel a great victory that day. (He wouldn’t let go)
That really grabbed me and demanded further research in light of our topic today. It was interesting to me that this victory was the place where David slew Goliath...It was known as the valley of blood. The enemy will often take us back to places where God gave us the victory to see if he can win it back, and undo the damage we have done to his kingdom. As I look back on my Christian walk, my greatest battles have been fought on the same battle grounds as before, over the same things time and time again, some of those same things, that I’d already dealt with and walked away from victorious, were going to have to be fought and won again. Satan doesn’t give up easily and he is a sore looser! That’s why 1 Peter 5:8 says “Be alert and be vigilant. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for opportunity to devour”. But one greater than Satan is in us.... Ephesians 6:17 we are told to “take up the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God”. Don’t let go of your sword....The same weapons that beat Satan last time will beat him this time! He hasn’t changed his strategy, and truth is greater than his lies. Our sword is bigger than all of his weapons, and when he is threatening and roaring, we should be reminding him of his ending! We win, he loses.... it’s settled, no reprieve, not do overs, and no question... He’s the biggest loser that ever got kicked out of heaven.... We can learn from Eleazar, who was left alone in that field, cause every one who came with him had run off..... And when you look around, and the folks that were supposed to have your back are running away.....You find that everyone that says that they are in the fight with you are not always covering your back. People will run off and leave you when things get uncomfortable or may cost them something. But Romans 8:31 says “What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can stand against us”? My God never fails. I’ve got to remember that this battle isn’t about me, it’s about Satan trying to challenge God....And our God has never lost a battle, and He never will... just make sure it’s his battle you’re fighting, not your own.... Elijah had the same situation, as he faced the 450 prophets of Baal, alone and no one was standing on his side.... But he understood that this was not about him... it was between Baal and Jehovah... Thank God, the battle is the Lord’s! That makes you a winner....And I like the way Elijah rubbed it in.... He poured water on the sacrifice and the altar, to say to the Devil, “My God is more than enough”..... Not only will God defeat you, but He’ll rub your nose in it, Devil, and use it for a testimony to draw people to Himself and make the end better than the beginning! When the devil is making it harder than it already was, remember Elijah, as he showed everyone that God is more than enough! Say it with me... “All things work together for the good of those who are the called according to His purposes” Some years ago, a young girl had a sever heart condition and was not expected to recover. She regretted that she had not been able to do more for the Lord in her short life. Her pastor suggested that she make a list of people in their little town who needed Christ and pray that they might receive Him as savior. She took his advice, made a list, and prayed daily for each person. Some time later God began to stir a revival in the village. The girl heard of the people who were coming to Christ and prayed even more. As she heard reports, she checked off the names of those who had come to the Lord. After the girl died, a prayer list with the names of 56 people she had prayed for, was found under her pillow. All had put their faith in Christ—the last one on the night before her death.... Don’t let go, grip your sword! She didn’t let her condition stop her mission. Getting back to Eleazer, this guy Eleazar, knew his weapon. He had spent countless hours getting familiar with using it. He wasn’t always this good with the sword, and I’m sure he had the scars to prove it! But he wouldn’t let go! At the beginning, he might have had lessspectacular wins... but he didn’t let go.... You start with a splinter, and soon you’ll be removing logs from your vision.... You start with self discipline and you end up with prosperity and success.... You start with witnessing to one person, and you find yourself ministering to groups of people.... He who is faithful in little shall be given much.... Don’t you let go!! Eleazer kept training until he became not only one of thirty, but one of three....When you pick up the bible to read it, say to yourself, I’m going to become an expert in the word of God. When you are asked to pray, say to yourself, I’m going to be an expert in prayer....(Jesus didn’t teach them how to preach, he taught them how to pray) Those who refuse to let go, are not willing to settle for second best. A teacher, in English class, was guiding the class through present, past, and future tense in verbs, and she wrote a sentence on the board and asked if it was past, present, or future tense. She wrote“I am a beautiful person”.... One boy eagerly raised his hand and said, “I believe that would be past tense”..... You can’t be thin skinned and fulfill your purpose and calling....I’m sure there are a host of demons, who have been put in charge of offenses and emotional wounds.... Can you take constructive criticism, and honest appraisal.... Sometimes it takes 3 or 4 times for me, but when my daughter Karen gets on me, it hits the mark. As a matter of fact, if Winnie wants to make sure I get it, she has Karen tell me.... (Now don’t all of you get any ideas)Winnie, don’t give them Karen’s number...please.... But we all need to get beyond ourselves, right? DON’T LET GO, of your witness, and your spiritual values and goals, because you got offended or got your feelings hurt...or it didn’t go your way....Offenses don’t rule you any more.... the Holy Spirit does.... Harrison Ford was told to quit acting and stop fooling himself, he would never make it... Harrison Ford’s first role was as a hotel bellhop in “Dead Heat on a Merry-Go-Round”. Ford had all of two lines. One day the head of new talent, a man who worked on the set, asked Ford to come into his office. “You're never going to make it in the business, just forget about it,” In spite of that man’s rejection and predictions, Ford would go on to act in more than 50 movies, and of course, become one of the faces of Star Wars. He also got to have the last laugh. As he was telling the story, one night as he was out to dinner with a group of movie *.......executives, a waiter placed a business card in front of him. On the back was a note from that vehead of talent who was now a waiter....who said he'd never make it. It said, "I really missed that one, didn’t I". I know my message is about not letting go, but I have to cover the other side of holding on.... the other side of this is called a Stronghold. Satan uses this principle of not letting go, to defeat us, and he uses it effectively.... You’ve got to know when to walk away, & when to run!! 2nd Corinthians 10:4 says: “For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds”.
Let me describe a stronghold like this....
In South America, they catch monkeys by understanding one of the downfalls of the monkey. They can’t let go. They attach a box to a monkey tree. They make a hole just big enough for the monkey to stick his tiny hand into it. Then they put the monkey’s favorite fruit in the box. The monkey reaches in the box and grabs the fruit, but the hole is too small to let it pull it’s hand out with the fruit in it. The monkey will refuse to let go of the fruit, and pull it’s hand out. So the trapper just walks up and puts a collar on the monkey and breaks the box. The monkey gets the fruit, but it is now a slave to the trapper. A Stronghold is an offense or emotional woundyou refuse to let go of... Strongholds will make you a loser instead of a winner. Strongholds begin by holding on to hurts, abuses, bad experiences, disappointments, emotional wounds or injustices in our lives. They begin to be part of our identity..... A rebellious nature, fierce independence, and trust issues, becomepatterns, and emotional triggers which keep folks from pressing in, pushing through, and holding tight to the things of God and total dependance upon God! Strongholds keep pushing God out of His rightful place in our lives.
Strongholds must be pulled down, if we are going to do and be, what God has in store for us. Let me give you a suggested list ofsome things that must be dealt with here.....
*........1. UNCONFESSED, SECRET SIN IN YOUR LIFE.... Good news....The cross is greater, and God’s love is strongerthan any and all sin.... 1 John 1:9 says, “If we confess our sins, [God] is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.“ Repentance means that we will now intentionally live a life that is different from the sinful pattern we used to engage in. *.......2. OCCULT ACTIVITY..... If you have ever knowingly or unknowingly dabbled in any occult-like practices in your past? That may be where you issues stem from. Weyi board, palm reading, tarot cards, experimentation, Wicca, fortune telling (not Chinese cookies) zodiac signs.... are a few. These things are like placing a “vacancy” sign on your life for evil spirits to find a place to inhabit. Renounce any commitments or oaths you made to any of those groups and declare your allegiance to Jesus Christ as sole Lord and Savior of your life. Tell them they must leave and never return, in Jesus name. The Spirit of Jesus who lives in you, and to whom you now haveallegiance, is greater and more powerful than the evil presence behind what you just told to leave and never return. *.......How about LIES YOU MAY HAVE BELIEVED..... about yourself, and lies about how God sees you. Lies that the enemy has been playing over and over in your mind for years, which, in your pain, you’ve unfortunately bought into. “God will never forgive me”, “I’m too far gone”, “God won’t heal me”... “God doesn’t love me”...God can’t use me”....etc. If what you’re “hearing” or feeling, “brings you shame or guilt, or pushes you away from intimacy with God, it’s not of God and must be rejected.. In Philippians 4:8, we’re told what to focus on instead of the lies, that want to defeat us. “Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.” *.......3. UNFORGIVENESS: If you are still nursing bitterness against someone/ or people, the enemy will take advantage of that to keep you defeated. The people who wounded you may not deserve to be forgiven, but we forgive because Jesus Christ forgave us for an even greater sin against God. We forgive because it sets us free, from the stronghold produced by bitterness or resentment. The solution is (yes, you know it), forgiveness. When you forgive someone, it’s not that you’re allowing them to “get away scott-free”, but rather, it’s you,trusting that God is wise enough, powerful enough, and loving enough, to handle justice on your behalf.
*........4. HEREDITY..... You may have picked up on the fact that certain unhealthy behavioral and thought patterns present in your life was also present in your father’s (or mother's) life, and his father, and so on. Sometimes, unhealthy, even ungodly family traditions and family patterns is passed down from generation to generation to generation until someone stands up and says, IN JESUS NAME, NO MORE!
Be intentional about rejecting the bad parts and embrace the good parts of your heritage. Here the master inviting you to come over to the other side, where He has a fresh start and new beginning for you. Surrender it to Him and be willing to let go of the toxic part of your heritage. Millions have reached the peak of their destinies in spite of significant wounds locked up in their past. Rahab was a prostitute, yet, by faith, she helped out the Israelites in time of need and as a result, became the great grandma of one of the greatest kings in Israel and was included in the lineage of Christ. Joseph was hated by his brothers and sold into slavery by those who were supposed to love him, yet, by trusting in God, He became the prime minister of the greatest nation in the world in his time – Egypt. Jabez had such a hard beginning in life that his mother named him, “pain”(the literal translation of his name), yet, by faith, when he prayed, God blessed him beyond measure and expanded his territory so he never suffered need. My friends, a greater destiny awaits you, Don’t let go!
Let me get to my next scripture before I run out of time.... Genesis 25:21 “Isaac prayed to the Lord on behalf of his wife, because she was childless. The Lord answered his prayer, and his wife Rebekah became pregnant. 22 The babies jostled each other within her, and she said, “Why is this happening to me?” So she went to inquire of the Lord. 23 The Lord said to her, “Two nations are in your womb, and two peoples from within you will be separated; one people will be stronger than the other, and the older will serve the younger.” 24 When the time came for her to give birth, there were twin boys in her womb. 25 The first to come out was red, and his whole body was like a hairy garment; so they named him Esau. 26 After this, his brother came out, with his hand grasping Esau’s heel; so he was named Jacob.
What’s apparent here is that Jacob wouldn’t let go.... God let his mom know that what would happen in the future, began in the womb, and would end up with Esau serving Jacob. That Jacob was intended to be the first born, but Satan tried to intervene and change history... Come on, say with me Jacob wouldn’t let go!!! Rachael refused to go by what she saw or felt, because she had heard from God.... Through all the rebellion, through all the willfulness and stubbornness, Rachael would not let go of what God told her... She held on and saw the day when her son was made the heir, and received his place in the blessing of God. Somebody needs to get a word from God for their family, and never let go of it....
Genesis 32:24 “Jacob was left alone. And a man wrestled with him until the breaking of the day. When the man saw that he did not prevail against Jacob, he touched his hip socket, and Jacob’s hip was put out of joint as he wrestled with him. Then he said, “Let me go, for the day has broken.” But Jacob said, “I will not let you go unless you bless me.”
As a result of Jacob’s tenacity, God renames him, he steps over into his destiny, and history was changed. Why is this story here, so we can do the same thing.... refuse to let go of the future we have been promised. Refuse to let go of the anointing which comes with our calling... Refuse to let go of the portion that has been reserved for us. Refuse to see ourselves as anything less than God has said we are....
FORGIVEN, REDEEMED, BLOOD BOUGHT, GIVEN THE STATUS OF FIRST BORN, ENDUED WITH POWER FROM ON HIGH, CHILDREN OF THE KING, RULING AND REIGNING WITH HIM IN THIS LIFE AND FOR ALL ETERNITY.
DON’T YOU LET GO OF THAT......
Hosea 12:3 “In the womb he took his brother by the heel, and in his maturity, he had power with God... How’s your spiritual maturity level?
Psychology Today says this about maturity... (I’m gonna save you a lot of money here)
*.......A mature person is able to keep long-term commitments and has the ability to delay gratification. *.......A mature person is unshaken by flattery or criticism. As people mature, they sooner or later understand that nothing is as good as it seems, and nothing is as bad as it seems.
*........A mature person possesses a spirit of humility. Humility isn’t thinking less of yourself; it is thinking of yourself less. Mature people aren’t consumed with drawing attention to themselves. *....... A mature person’s decisions are based on character, not feelings. Mature people live by values. They have principles that guide their decisions. They are able to progress beyond merely reacting to life’s circumstances, and are proactive as they live their life. *........ A mature person expresses gratitude consistently. They have found that the more they mature, the more grateful they are, for both big and little things. They have discovered contentment. *....... A mature person knows how to prioritize others before themselves. The pathway out of childhood is getting past your own desires and living to meet the needs of others. *........ A mature person seeks wisdom before acting. A mature person is teachable, they don’t presume they have all the answers. The wiser they get, the more they realize they need wisdom. They’re not ashamed of seeking counsel.
What a powerful statement Hosea shares.... “And in his maturity Jacob had power with God”.. I close with... Ephesians 4:15 “Speaking the truth in love, we should grow up in all things into Him who is the head, Christ.” *.......Prayer of agreement.......Father, wecry out for an encounter with You, as you do Your work in our hearts. I pray that You would take this heart, and mold it to look more and more like Jesus. I yearn to go deeper in Your Word that my mind and my will would be molded by Your will. Holy Spirit, give me the strength to walk in Your wisdom, that would empower me to be a reflection of the glorious Kingdom of our Lord and Savior.
Thank You for the grace that has saved me and the grace that continues to keep me and guide me in truth and in obedience. I pray that out of Your glorious riches, You may strengthen mewith power through Your Spirit in my inner being, so that Christ may dwell in my heart through faith.
And I pray that as we together, are rooted and established in love, with all the saints, that we may grasp how wide and how long and how high and how deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge – that we may be filled to the fullest measure of all the fullness of God.” In Jesus’ name, Amen.
