Excerpt from a message preached by Pastor Lee Shipp, First New Testament Church, Baton Rouge LA, concerning the day in Nicaragua he had to travel through a parade full of cross dressing trans-genders who were painted up demoniacally)
The presence and power of darkness doesn't teach, it demonstrates. It's great authority and power is in its demonstration not just simply its instruction. The effort the powers of darkness go to to demonstrate their reality is so profound because this earth is filled with the glory of Satan right now. There's coming a day when Jesus comes back this earth will be filled with the glory of God. Right now there is the presence of Satan and wherever you go in this world though you will find pockets of Christians who are loving Jesus, worshiping Jesus. But mostly what you will see, even in your own culture, is the power of Lucifer. That is the stronghold of his kingdom and his darkness. You see pestilence, disease, you see poverty. You see the fruit of the demonic stranglehold that is upon people and cultures everywhere. The Holy Spirit asks what do you think it will take to deliver these people who are so bound in darkness, who know only this way of life, what do you think is even going to bring them into your churches to even listen to what you have to say? And who has the audacity and authority and the anointing to walk into their culture and into their darkness with such confidence in the power of the gospel of Jesus Christ to bring liberty? Who is going to do that?
This isn't just in Nicaragua, it's in every city, every culture, it's everywhere. And this is the call of Christ upon our life. He has not called us to go into pretty places. He has not called us to go into pleasing situations. He has not called us to simply go where we are welcomed. He has called us to go everywhere and preach to everyone the gospel of Jesus Christ. If they reject you, then shake the dust off your feet, and leave. But if they receive you bless them. In a lot of places we will not be accepted or welcomed because the Bible tells us in John 3 that men love the darkness because their deeds are evil and they run to the darkness. But in every pocket of darkness there are those in it that are craving light. They want light, they want deliverance and freedom. I believe every man does. But it's the blindness Satan has put upon men so they don't see the glory of the gospel of Jesus Christ.
All we have to do is open our eyes in our culture and society to see this. We see Christian programs everywhere. We see Christian Literature, Christian radio stations, Christian TV, Christian cable networks, we have Christian everything. We as a culture in the United States are inundated with the Christian message. But for all intents and purposes it has fallen powerlessly at the feet of this darkness that is sweeping our culture, and that is strangling our nation from the life it has had-that is the life of Christ, the truths of God. We have to understand that. It's not our preaching that is going to be the answer. It's not our ability to quote Scripture at the proper time and place or our Bible Studies. This won't bring about the defeat of this darkness. The only thing that is able to contend with the spirit of darkness is the Spirit of Christ. And that is the Holy Spirit. He's the only One. He is ready and willing to come upon us with power and might and courage and boldness to be able to do through our lives what He alone can do.
The problem is we are so confident in our churches, in our programs, we are so confident in our methods that we've practiced how to witness to people (I.E. The Way of the Master-my thought here) We practice what to say. That's fine, but we have to leave the plan at the door. We have to be led by the Holy Spirit because we don't know what needs to be dealt with. The power of darkness doesn't just teach, it demonstrates itself from every possible avenue of our culture from our education system to our scientific institutions to our entertainment and even our government institutions. This is where all the efforts of the kingdom of darkness are concentrated to demonstrate its reality. And for the last many decades the church has done nothing but get together behind the walls of its buildings and TALK.
To watch the video of this message click here.
2Ch 7:14 If My people, who are called by My name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.
He's not talking about the U.S. That isn't the land He will heal-it's the church that needs healing and restoring. It's the church that for the most part has lost His glory, and the reality of His Presence and what He alone can do.
To view study notes "Without Mixture" click here.
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