Recognizing Spiritual Trip Wires

By:  Richard Gazowsky

In history we are told that there is one thing Napoleon Bonaparte could rely upon to give him victory in an intense battle.  It was that at a certain point, when the battle could go either way, he had to have a reserve guard of his strongest soldiers and weapons.  For it was at that critical 15 minutes of fighting that they could tip the battle in his favor.  For most of his life that simple secret always fared him well.  I have found some similar situations in the spiritual realm when it comes to winning victories over intense battles.

There are certain spiritual engagements against the enemy that require extremely accurate timing, obedience, and fulfillment for the battle to be complete.  The Apostle James, “Any man that wavers is like the waves of the sea driven and tossed.  Let not that man think that he shall receive anything from the Lord.”  By this Scripture we understand that your obedience and faithfulness at critical times can mean complete victory ~ or total loss.

I remember when my wife Sandy was miraculously healed of a dangerous allergic reaction to mangos.  The international evangelist, Victor Emenike, simply told someone to go buy a can of mango juice and that my wife would be healed when she drank it.  I was immediately flabbergasted because I knew how bad of an allergic reaction she had the last time she had justtouched just a little bit of chutney that had laced with fresh mango juice ~ it had adversely affected her for a long time.  Yet my wife was sure at that moment the Lord was in this command.

She drank the can of mango juice in front of the church and was healed completely.  But whatever spirit that had initially previously affected her, a year later tried to come back to visit her again.  We realized that this was a critical moment of battle we were facing.  I knew that a short period of time would determine the long-term effects of whether this mango allergy was every going to affect her again.  She successfully fought it, and whenever doubts tried to come back Sandy would become more and more victorious.  Now it is no longer an issue in her health life.

I have seen this kind of thing happen again and again in the lives of Christians and it has made me understand that when the search engine of the Holy Ghost delivers to you a miraculous answer, invention, healing, or prophetic act, it is important that you not only have the faith to birth the initial event ~ but you must also retain reserve strength to use in times when you will later be faced with tipping points or moments of critical mass when things seem unstable again.  All you have to do is confess your faith as a solid anchor in the Rock Christ Jesus.

This area is extremely important when it comes to the deep operations of the Holy Spirit.  Many people feel that they can come to church, get their situation fixed, and then go on with life as normal and never hitching up to God intimately again.  The Bible says that the person’s latter state is worse than their former because they have tasted of the good works of Christ but have fallen back into darkness.  The Bible also describes this type of person as driven and tossed and that they won’t receive anything from God.

When you link up with Jesus it needs to be steady with Him all the way.  But there also is another element that I believe we have to deal with when it comes to experiencing the power of God.  When God downloads a great revelation to you, you can’t try and fulfill the revelation’s purpose with help from your own experience, flesh, reputation, or understanding.  The flesh, the Bible says, has absolutely no glory in the presence of the Holy Spirit.  There is no way that you can take over what God started.

When you agree to do something God’s way, you have got to say “Uncle” and let Jesus choose step #1, step #2, step #3, etc.  That is the reason He is called the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, and every step in between.  This is so vitally important because I have watched over the years literally thousands of people come to God, get an immediate answer to their situation, and then go out and fall back in to their old fleshly ways of doing things ~ and every thing that God did for them is not only erased but brought into a worse condition.

I know all this sounds pretty bad, but I have also got some incredible news for you.  There is no one in the universe that is as merciful as God is.  As a matter of fact, His throne is called the Mercy Seat and the Scriptures declare time and time again that His mercy endures forever.  What this means is that no matter how messed up you have been, or how many mistakes you have made, He is able to take you right now, fix everything, and make today the first day of a perfect life.

Believe me when I tell you this.  I am 59 years old and have made so many mistakes that they are innumerable.  My mistakes have become almost legendary in my own time.  But the wonderful thing is, today I feel like a brand-new teenager that is just walking out of high school and grabbing the hand of his girlfriend and we are walking together into the sunrise of the rest of our lives.  Sandy and I are so excited, giggling and laughing, because our futures are so bright that we feel we have to put on sunglasses and suntan lotion.  Wow!  What a fun life to live!

This is a weekly email written by Richard Gazowsky, Pastor of A Place To Meet Jesus church in San Francisco. If you would like to opt-out from this weekly email, simply click on the SafeUnsubscribe link below.