These past few weeks have been quite challenging. It really felt as if the enemy kept on knocking and knocking on the door trying the gain a foothold into the lives of God’s children.

This comes as no surprise. We are moving into crucial times. Like I mentioned in my previous blog, this upcoming weekend, the 19th September marks a very important date on God’s calendar. We are crossing over into the 7th month, which signifies the 7m marker which I wrote about in the previous blogpost (read here if you missed it).

Now is the time to push forward and give no place to the devil!

Guard against Complacency  
Amidst the battle, I clearly heard the words “Do not become complacent.” English is not my mother tongue, so I had to look this one up. I found the definition quite interesting:

Complacency:

• a feeling of quiet pleasure or security, often while unaware of some potential danger, defect, or the like.
• self-satisfaction or smug satisfaction with an existing situation, condition, etc.”

(Dictionary.com)

I realised how dangerous it is to be a complacent Christian and the Lord is specifically warning us against having a complacent attitude. Complacency might be one of the biggest enemies we need to overcome.

“Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.”

~ Philippians 3:13-14

May we have the same mind as Paul in the above scripture, that we do not become complacent but that we stay focused on the Lord and press forward towards His purposes.

Entertainment Culture
A few years ago, the Lord spoke to my husband in a series of visions and impressions. He kept on hearing: Entertainment Culture.

The Lord revealed to him what is going on in most of Christianity. One of the greatest strongholds over the church and Christianity, in general, is its entertainment culture.

We listen to a good biblical sermon, hear a true accurate prophetic word, read a sound biblical book and we get excited about it. It stirs our excitement and we then share our excitement about this “prophetic word”, teaching or book with others. Like you would when you watched a good movie.

The problem is, like the movie, a week or two goes by and you kind of forget about it. You move on to the next “exciting” thing. You got entertained by God’s holy gifts! You never really took it to heart with the intent of DOING something about it. Or sometimes, we tell ourselves: I will give attention to this LATER. Are we not guilty of this verse?

“But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror; for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was. But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does.”

~ James 1:22-25

We must heed against being so “super-spiritual” receiving so many prophetic words, teachings, read books, etc but then almost immediately after receiving it we turn away and forget about it. Or worst even, like Paul says we get puffed up by all the knowledge we have (1 Co 8:1).

The book of James clearly states that if we are only hearers of the Word and not doers we are in deception. If we don’t apply the Word as a seed to cultivate in our lives it will not take root and there will be no harvest. We will in fact, still be caught up in religion and in essence, deception.

The only way to counter and overthrow this massive stronghold of entertainment culture is to become doers of the word by walking in obedience.

We need to walk in the realities of the revelations we receive. Only when we start walking in the realities of the revelations, these strongholds will come down and we will start to bear fruit in the likeness and image of Christ.

Again, it all comes down to obedience.

The Awakening Trumpet will be Released through Obedience!
I asked the Lord “how do we ‘get’ people to walk in obedience”. I heard the Spirit say: “You will not get people to obey. You have to be obedient yourself and only then you can effectively intercede for others.”

This answer pierced right through me! It was like a sword dividing the soul and spirit, and it discerned the thoughts and intents of my heart (Heb 4:12). I felt the Spirit saying, “The time of talking is over, you will be positioned by doing!”

The Lord will use our obedience as an awakening trumpet for many other members of the body to arise out of their slumber. Our lives and footsteps of obedience will release a sound and cause a great awakening among believers.

It is from this position of doing, that we will be able to intercede and our intercession will become much more than prayer: It will become a lifestyle as a sweet-smelling aroma unto the Lord. We will carry the fragrance of Christ and others will be attracted to obedience.

I recently read a book that made a great impact on my life. In fact, it challenged me to the core and really made me question a lot of things in my own life and in Christianity in general.

I want to encourage you to read this book as I strongly feel God wants to restore these principles to the end-time church and that we need to be equipped in these truths.

The name of the book is Reese Howells: Intercessor by Norman Grubb. You can download a free PDF HERE or search for the audio readings on YouTube or elsewhere or buy a hardcopy on Amazon or on Loot in South Africa.