Bondage and Freedom
Hi Friends,
I am sure that you are aware of the ongoing corruption and lies put forth recently concerning the election and the orchestrated attack by anarchists on the Capitol building. You were probably offended by the blame placed on the thousands of supporters of our president. Perhaps you are even aware of the blocking and banning of the president from the various social media platforms. Many of us find this highly offensive and alarming. We who see the writing on the wall must be in prayer for our nation and our president.
The Lord has given me three visions showing us that he is aware of the happenings, and he wants us to be careful with our response. “In your anger, do not sin!”
The Visions
The Ball and Chain
I saw a man hold a large black iron ball in front of his body. I saw an iron chain connected to the ball. He held the ball in both hands and stood still.
A Man Straining Against a Wall
I saw a man lying on his back with his knees bent and his feet placed against the wall. He pushed hard against the wall as if it were a leg press machine fully loaded. The muscles in his thighs were straining at the effort to push himself away from the wall in his attempt to separate from it.
The Guitar
I saw a beautiful acoustic guitar. As I drew closer to look at the finish and the grain in the wood, I noticed that the wood was composed of many laminated layers 1/16 of an inch thick. The laminated layers were then cut across grain to reveal a striation. This striation was not apparent at first. For it’s coloration and grain from a distance resembled that of most acoustic guitars.
The Lord uses these visions to convey his thoughts or a messages to us. I always pray and wait upon him for understanding and confirmation.
The Meaning of the Visions
The Ball and Chain
I believe this vision has to do with bondage, for those who are held captive, as slaves and prisoners wear a ball and chain around the ankle to keep them from escaping.
Today, people may use the ball and chain to poke fun at the marriage relationship. A man may say that he is tied to his wife like a ball and chain. Or he may complain that he is chained to the house and can’t get away for the evening.
Paul the apostle, suffered with real chains, having been arrested and placed in prison multiple times. Paul asked for prayer during his time in prison: “Pray also for me, that whenever I speak, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it fearlessly, as I should.” Ephesians 6:19-20
Paul suffered a great deal in chains, yet he was unafraid to declare again and again that Jesus is Lord, even though he knew that by doing so, he would suffer. He viewed his life as having worth only in light of bringing glory to God. He was willing to suffer for the sake of the gospel. “For I am already being poured out like a drink offering, and the time for my departure is near. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.” 2 Timothy 4:6-7
But sometimes the chains that we wear and the ball we carry is not from persecution for righteousness, but rather comes from the doors we open through sin. When we sin we give place to the devil; we give him access. As a result of our disobedience and rebellion against God, we become chained and our minds cannot distinguish truth from lies.
Bondage manifests in different ways, but it is always sourced in sin. There are two books that I might recommend regarding spiritual bondage. The first is The Bait of Satan, written by John Bevere. It focuses on offense and unforgiveness as primary causes of bondage. The second is Bondage Breaker, written by Neil T. Anderson. His book focuses on overcoming negative thoughts, emotions and lifestyle sin.
One common sin leading to bondage is unforgiveness. When we take offense because of what someone said or did to us, or said or did to someone we love or respect we can become outraged, and want to retaliate. This is a very natural response, however, the Lord says: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay.” Deuteronomy 32:35
Paul quotes this same command: “Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: ‘It is mine to avenge; I will repay,’ says the Lord.”
It is sin to retaliate.
Jesus instructs us with these words: “But I tell you, do not resist an evil person. If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also; And if anyone would sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well. And if anyone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles. Give to the one who begs from you, and do not refuse the one who would borrow from you. You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy,” but I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven.” Matthew 5:39-45
We are told in the book of Ephesians, “‘In your anger, do not sin;’ do not let the sun go down on your anger, neither give place to the devil” Ephesians 4:26-27
If we look at the events in the political scene, we can easily become offended and sin against the Lord. It is easy to curse those who we feel are causing harm to our nation, our president and his supporters. If we curse them or retaliate in any manner, the Lord will hold the offense against us. His anger will turn from them, and it will be directed towards us. Look at this passage of scripture:
“Do not rejoice when your enemy falls, and let not your heart be glad when he stumbles, lest the Lord see it and be displeased, and turn away his anger from him.” Proverbs 24:17-19
So what does the Lord expect of us?
“Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited.
Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone. If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: ‘It is mine to avenge; I will repay,’ says the Lord. On the contrary:
‘If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink.
In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.’ Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.” Romans 12:14-21
It is so important to get this one right. We have to pray that we as Christians, do not become embittered by what is going on in our nation. This message is for us as individuals, and also collectively as the American church.
If we are able to forgive someone who offends us, and let the offense go, then we remain in right standing with God. He will then protect us from harm. However, if we choose to harden our hearts towards the offender(s), and refuse to forgive him (them), holding onto the offense, unknowingly, we open a door to the enemy, the devil.
Unforgiveness leads to resentment, hatred and bitterness. When we refuse to forgive someone and hold onto the offense, we become hard, and every relationship we have becomes affected. Including our relationship with the Lord.
It is indeed sin to not forgive someone, no matter how harshly we have been treated. The Lord said to those who nailed him to the cross, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” Luke 23:34
If Jesus could forgive these people, and those who yelled, “Crucify him!” Don’t you think we can forgive those who have maligned our president and tried to impeach him. Can we forgive those who want to judge him as being unfit for office, as they have, citing the 25th amendment? Can we forgive those who censor the facts, distorted the truth, and count illegal votes? Can we forgive those who have betrayed the president and undermined his presidency?
Jesus also taught his disciples about forgiveness and offense:
“Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, ‘Lord, how often will by brother sin against me, and I forgive him? As many as seven times?’ Jesus said to him, ‘I do not say to you seven times, but seventy times seven.’” Matthew 18:21-22
We are expected to forgive and allow God to do as he chooses. “For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But, if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.” Matthew 6:14-15
But if we seek revenge, and hope that they “get what they deserve,” then we have missed God’s heart. We have failed to understand him at all!
“Mercy triumphs over judgment.”
The Lord is looking for a merciful heart within his people. He wants us to pray for these people, not to hold them in contempt. He wants us to have his heart, to show mercy. He wants us to pray that they would be set free, for they are in bondage because of their sins. They will go to hell, if no one prays for them to have a change of heart and repent.
It is truly a shame that these politicians, those in the media, and the wealthy elites, are on the path that leads to destruction. If we have the heart of God, we will be concerned for their souls. Jesus is the good shepherd who leaves the ninety-nine to go after the one who is lost! God is merciful and he wants us to be merciful.
These people are unaware of their bondage because sin is deceitful. The love of money and the desire for power corrupts their hearts and causes spiritual chains to form. They become enslaved to that sin.
“But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, into a snare, into many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many sorrows.” 1 Timothy 6:9-10
Please pray for those in power.
“First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth.” 1 Timothy 2:1-4
The Man
In this vision a man is lying on his back. His feet are pressed up against a wall. His legs are bent and pulled up close to his torso. He reminds me of a competitive swimmer getting ready to swim the backstroke by pushing off the wall.
I believe that the man in the vision represents a person who must free himself from temptation and demonic power. The wall represents those things from which we must separate.
We resist the devil:
“Resist the devil and he will flee.” James 4:7
And “Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings.” 1 Peter 5:8-9
But, we flee temptation:
“No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to man. And God is faithful, he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.” 1 Corinthians 10:13
It is important to know the difference between resisting and fleeing. It is similar to the two responses to stress: flight or fight. A young deer might choose to run at the discovery of danger. But a stag with a large rack, may instead choose to fight.
We need to understand why we flee temptation and why we resist the devil. If we do the opposite, things can go very wrong. Resisting temptation can be a serious mistake. Imagine an alcoholic trying to give up alcohol but thinking that he can resist temptation, so he goes out with his drinking buddies. If he willingly places himself in a situation where all his friends are drinking, he will be in a constant state of pressure. Trying to resist a strong temptation is very difficult. It is far better to flee the situation and avoid it altogether.
However when it comes to the devil, It is better to resist him. A predator will pursue his prey if he sees it on the run. It would be better to grab a large stick, or another weapon and fight. A wild animal would rather pursue a defenseless creature than one who is able to fight back. The devil is the same. “Resist the devil and he will flee.” James 4:7
So, we resist the devil, by fighting with the spiritual weapons that the Lord gives us. “For though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds. We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ, being ready to punish every disobedience, when your obedience is complete.” 2 Corinthians 10:3-6
One of those weapons is the Word of God. It is called the Sword of the Spirit. We speak and declare the word of God, for it has supernatural power. “Then the Lord says to me, ‘You have seen well, for I am watching over my word to perform it.” Jeremiah 1:12
Just as the Lord spoke and created the universe, we are given authority to speak the word of God over our circumstances. “...even God, who gives life to the dead and calls things that are not, as though they were.” Romans 4:17
So, we make declarations of things that we want to see, but as yet in the natural they do not exist. We speak words in faith, believing in the power of God. Isaiah records the Lord’s words: ”So shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it.” Isaiah 55:11
This is the faith of the believer—as disciples, we are taught to do what the Lord does. We believe that whatever we declare will come to pass. We can speak life over our circumstances, and we can speak death over the things that should not be.
“Life and death are in the power of the tongue.” Proverbs 18:21
Jesus speaks about faith: “If you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you could say to this mountain ‘Be removed,’ and it would be cast into the sea.” Luke 17:6
We also have the promises of the Lord who tells us, “Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father.” John 14:12
He gives us authority over the powers of darkness: “And I confer on you a kingdom, just as my Father conferred one on me, so that you may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom and sit on thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.” Luke 22:29-30
With the authority that the Lord gives us, we engage in spiritual warfare. It is a matter of speaking the word of God, and declaring it over our situation.
Spiritual warfare is also a matter of binding and loosening. Jesus said, “I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.” Matthew 16:19
We must know the word of God and the authority that he gives us. And this authority is given to us, as we come to know the Lord, and submit to his authority. By obeying his commands, and seeking him to know him better, he will increase our authority.
If we are not fully surrendered to his authority, or if we have not shown ourselves to be faithful or obedient to him we will carry no authority. If the Lord sees our selfish motives and our desire to seek glory for ourselves, then we will have no authority. “Give unto the Lord the glory due unto his name.“ 1 Chronicles 16:29
“To God be the glory for the things he has done!” (a hymn)
The Guitar
In this vision, I saw such a beautiful guitar, that I had to take a closer look. Upon inspection, I found that the wood was a composite of many different layers, laminated together.
I believe that the guitar represents worship unto the Lord by his believers. It represents us, his church. The various laminated layers are the individual members of the body of Christ. We lift up his holy name, “Jesus.” The Lord wants us to worship him—together we harmonize and make a joyful noise unto him.
How does the adoration and worship of God affect bondage and freedom? In so many ways!
God is good, his mercies are new each morning. He is all powerful. There is no one like him. All his promises are yea and amen! He is the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords. He is the Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and the End. He is the Great I Am. He is the Prince of Peace.
When we exalt our Lord as King over all. We experience his presence. “But Thou art holy, O Thou that inhabitest the praises of Israel.” Psalm 22:3
When we lift him up in worship, exalting him in our praises, he accomplishes his will: “And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me.” John 12:32
When we ask in his name, our prayers are answered: “Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it.” John 14:13-14
We can break the power of depression and anxiety over ourselves when we stop focusing on our problems and we begin to sing to the Lord and praise his Holy Name—”Put on the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness.” (a song) “....the oil of gladness instead of mourning, the garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair.” Isaiah 61:3
The power of God is released with our shouts of praise. The formidable walls of Jericho fell, when the Israelites obeyed God, and followed his command to “shout” his praises. “When the trumpets sounded, the army shouted, and at the sound of the trumpet, when the men gave a loud shout, the wall collapsed; so everyone charged straight in, and they took the city.” Joshua 6:20
Battles are won when we worship, lifting up our hands in praise to God. The Israelites had victory over their enemies when Moses’ hands were held up to praise the Lord in the battle with the Amalekites. “As long as Moses held up his hands, the Israelites were winning, but whenever he lowered his hand, the Amalekites were winning. When Moses’ hands grew tired, they took a stone and put it under him and he sat on it. Aaron and Hur held his hand up--one on one side, one on the other-- so that his hand remained steady till sunset. So Joshua overcame the Amalekite army with the sword.” Exodus 17:11-13
As we worship, magnify, and exalt the Lord, our problems diminish and become small and insignificant.
My Personal Testimony
Our enemy, the devil, cannot stand it when we praise the Lord. He leaves! I can attest to this, for on the day of my personal deliverance, as I was on my way home from the retreat, the demon returned. He pressed on my arm and said to me, “You have to invite me back.” I cried out to the Lord saying, “Lord! Send your Holy Spirit!” Suddenly, I began to speak in tongues and the demon immediately left. I prayed in tongues and sang in tongues all the way home for 3 ½ hours! For the next three days he tried to come back, and every time, I declared, “Jesus is Lord! And you are not!” I would sing in the Spirit, “Oh the Blood of Jesus, it washes white as snow.” Each time I spoke against him, or sang in the Spirit, the demon left. Finally the demon knew that I meant business, so he gave up and left me alone.
Corporate Worship
Another time, I was worshiping the Lord with the Spanish ministry at our church. For three hours we sang to the Lord. His presence filled our hearts. When the worship ended, we were standing around the perimeter of the room. I opened my eyes and looked ahead. I saw demons being led away on foot, by angels dressed in white and seated on white horses. They formed a long line with the angels on the left and the demons on the right. The angels took their captives away far into the distance, making a left turn and continuing to lead them out of sight. There were too many to count.
This was an open vision, for the supernatural was overlaid upon the natural. Both could be seen simultaneously. But it was our praise and worship for three hours that accomplished this. There were no spoken prayers and nothing to distract us in our worship to the Lord. It was simply the presence of God that inhabited our praises that allowed the heavenly realm to do its work. Just like Moses lifting up his hands, we lifted up our voices to the Lord. He is so good! The battle belongs to the Lord!
In Summary
So in all things forgive those who persecute us, or offend us. Flee temptation, resist the devil, and be faithful and obedient to God—and worship Him alone!
Hallelujah! Please share this message with everyone. We all need the Lord, and to know him is to love him!
