Just like Elijah confronted the prophets of Baal, the time is coming when God’s New Testament mouthpieces will confront modern day merchandisers. The true will defy the false. The holy will challenge the unholy. Until that day, spirits of divination, with a little help from the lust of the eyes, the lust of the flesh and the pride of life, are working overtime to woo God’s true prophets to the side of err.

Some merchandising prophets, with their miracle water, prophetic soap and prosperity oil, are catching naive Christians hook, line and sinker. Other gospel gainsayers are profiting with urgent announcements that God will heal the first five people who run up to the altar with $100 bill in hand.

But perhaps the most dangerous merchandisers are those who use their gift to tap into divination. These prophets announce what the believer wants to hear in order to sow a false seed of faith in his heart and reap an improper financial reward, inappropriately earned position or wrongly received recognition. No matter the merchandiser’s brand of deceit, it is a practice that stinks in the nostrils of God.

“Then the Lord said, ‘These prophets are telling lies in my name. I did not send them or tell them to speak. I did not give them any messages. They prophesy of visions and revelations they have never seen or heard. They speak foolishness made up in their own lying hearts. Therefore, says the Lord, I will punish these lying prophets, for they have spoken in my name even though I never sent them. They say that no war or famine will come, but they themselves will die by war and famine!’” (Jer. 14:14-15)

Of course, most false prophets don’t start their ministries as false prophets, rather they are tempted and enticed by the idolatry in their hearts. Avoiding Satan’s snare begins with the fear of the Lord and the promised wisdom that follows. After all, the merchandise of wisdom is better than the merchandise of silver, and the gain thereof than fine gold. Wisdom is more precious than rubies and all the things that you can desire are not to be compared to her (Prov. 3:14-15).

The wisdom in God’s Word plainly illustrates that with every temptation there is also a way of escape. By comparing the responses of Balaam with Daniel and of Jezebel’s diviners with Elijah, we get a clear view of the trap, the way of escape–and the ultimate fate of merchandising prophets.

Balaam is best remembered for his talking donkey. He was a true prophet of God who went the way of divination for the promise of financial gain when King Balak offered him rewards to curse Israel. But Balaam did not fall into sin upon the first temptation. In fact, he refused the king’s initial offer. His royal majesty then upped the ante, promising the prophet promotion, honor and power if he would curse the Israelites. Balaam once again refused, saying “If Balak would give me his house full of silver and gold, I cannot go beyond the word of the Lord my God, to do less or more” (Num. 22:18).

Despite his bold confession to obey the Lord’s will, Balaam secretly desired to attain the rewards pledged by the king. And so the testing begins. Balaam would follow his rebellious heart 320 miles on a donkey’s back to curse Israel and claim his coveted merchandise. But to his surprise, the Lord would not allow him to pronounce the curse when he arrived in Moab. Disappointed and still hoping to collect the king’s bribe, Balaam shared a strategy to trip up the Israelites through sexual sin that led to the downfall of his brethren.

Balaam had a clear way of escape: Telling the king’s messengers upon their first visit that the Lord forbid him to curse Israel. That would have closed the door to future offers and put an end to the temptation that would lead to his destruction. The end of Balaam came by the command of Moses at the sword of his own people–the Israelites he tried to curse through divination.

Daniel, on the other hand, refused to give in to the temptation presented in King Belshazzar’s dilemma. Belshazzar and his guests were drinking from gold and silver cups that his father had stolen from God’s temple and giving praises to idols when the fingers of a human hand appeared and wrote on the palace wall. Belshazzar was frightened and summoned enchanters, fortunetellers and diviners to come, promising riches and power to anyone who could interpret it. When none could, the king called Daniel and made him the same offer (Daniel 5).

Daniel was faced with at least three choices at this critical turning point in his ministry. He could accept the king’s offer to interpret the message, thereby merchandising his gifting. He could exercise the gift he had freely received from Jehovah to freely interpret the message, all the while knowing that such a harsh word from the Lord could land him in the lion’s den. Or he could stand on his credible reputation as God’s prophet to falsely interpret the warning message as a blessing message and in all likelihood collect the loot anyway.

Unlike Balaam, Daniel unlocked the hard truth in the writing on the wall. He told the king that his days were numbered and that his kingdom would be divided up and handed over to the enemies. Daniel refused to compromise, no matter the consequences, and God used the king to promote him. As one of his last acts as king, Belshazzar robed him in purple, draped a great gold chain around his neck and positioned him as third-in-charge of the entire kingdom.

King Ahab and his wife Jezebel took the tradition of kings calling on prophets to unlock the mysteries of god a step further–and a few steps too far. Jezebel had false prophets on her payroll. The wicked queen regularly fed 450 prophets of baal and 400 prophets of asherah. Bible scholars estimate that feeding those false prophets cost her about $12,750 a week or $663,000 a year. That’s a hefty price tag for a good prophetic word.

So while Jezebel’s prophets had full bellies in a time of famine, the queen cut off the prophets of the Lord for fear of the truth (1 Kings 18:4). Obadiah hid 100 of God’s prophets in caves and fed them bread and water. While this may appear like a good work on the surface, Obadiah was only facilitating Jezebel’s plan to cut off the uncompromising prophetic word.

While Jezebel’s prophets looked well-fed and God’s true prophets looked like sheep being led to the slaughter, the story changes in a hurry when Elijah confronts the 850 merchandisers at Mount Carmel in what goes down in Biblical history as the ultimate showdown between the true and the false. Elijah threw down the prophetic gauntlet and challenged the false camp to bring fire down from heaven by calling upon their God. The merchandising diviners cried to Baal from dawn to dusk with no answer.

When the false camp had finally exhausted itself, Elijah built an altar holding a sacrifice to Jehovah, drenched it with four barrels of water, said a simple prayer, and watched as the fire of God fell from heaven and consumed the sacrifice, the wood, the stones, the dust and even the water in the trench. Then Elijah slew his false counterparts one by one. So the ultimate fate of the false prophets came at the hand of the true prophet, who was later taken to heaven in a chariot of fire.

Like Old Testament prophets, modern day prophets are also being tempted to merchandise the anointing for fame, fortune or friends in high places. Being plugged into a strong local church is a safety net because apostles boldly confront false moves of the Spirit and give merchandisers a way of escape by leading them into deep repentance.

Recall Simon the sorcerer, who was highly esteemed among the Samarians because he bewitched them. The apostles Peter and John met up with Simon after praying for the baptism of the Holy Ghost for the new believers there. When Simon saw that the people were filled with the Spirit when the apostles laid their hands on them, he offered them money. “Saying, Give me also this power, that on whomsoever I lay hands, he may receive the Holy Ghost. But Peter said unto him, Thy money perish with thee, because thou hast thought the gift of God may be purchased with money. Thou hast neither part nor lot in this matter: for thy heart is not right in the sight of God” (Acts 8:19-21). Simon may have repented and did ask the apostles to pray for him. Repentance is the appropriate response for New Testament prophets who fall into the trap of merchandising.

The decision to go the way of Baal and or to go the way of Elijah lies in the prophet’s heart. If pride, self-will, anger, or lust occupies the place where obedience, love and truth should live, then the merchandising prophet may succeed in reaping worldly rewards for a season but the retirement fund built on ill-gotten gains leads only to death (Romans 6:23). While there is certainly abundant grace for the true prophet who misses it, the Book of Revelation makes it clear that the false prophets (those who purposely set out to lie and deceive God’s people) will be cast into the lake of fire and brimstone and be tormented day and night forever and ever (Rev. 20:10).

Jennifer LeClaire is news editor at Charisma. She is also the author of several books, including The Heart of the Prophetic. You can e-mail Jennifer at

[email protected] or visit her website here.

As I was preparing a sermon for Palm Sunday, I was struck to the core by John 12. Jesus made a triumphal entry into Jerusalem. The Bible says a great multitude took branches of palm trees and went out to meet Him, crying out, “Hosanna! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord! The King of Israel!” (John 12:13).

Yet only a few verses later many no longer believed.

What happened? What shifted? What caused this multitude to go from celebrating Jesus and acknowledging Him as King of Israel to turning their back on Him and days later calling for His crucifixion? Simply put, He told them the truth—and they couldn’t handle the truth. You might say they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved (2 Thess. 2:10).

But let me ask you a serious question: Are you a lover of the truth? Are you a true follower of Christ? Really?

If we want a spiritual awakening, if we want revival in this land, we have to be lovers of the truth. That means no compromise with darkness. That means no shrinking back when things get hard. That means we must pursue and speak the truth in love no matter the personal cost. That’s what Jesus did. Are we going to follow Christ or are we going to befriend the world and become enemies of God? (James 4:4).

I’m not talking about being pushy or obnoxious with the gospel. Jesus was never pushy or obnoxious. But Jesus did offer some hard truths in love. In John 12:25-26 Jesus said, “He who loves his life will lose it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. If anyone serves Me, let him follow Me; and where I am, there My servant will be also. If anyone serves Me, him My Father will honor.”

Jesus said we should follow Him. At the moment He said that, where was He going? The cross. Are you willing to crucify your flesh to follow Christ by yielding to the work of the Holy Spirit in your heart? This is what Father, Son and Holy Ghost expect. Jesus was very clear that following Him would not be easy on the flesh. Right after he fed 5,000 men and thousands more women and children with a few fishes and loaves of bread, Jesus said something similar to His remarks in Jerusalem:

“If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will save it. For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and is himself destroyed or lost? For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words, of him the Son of Man will be ashamed when He comes in His own glory, and in His Father’s, and of the holy angels” (Luke 9:23-26).

Let me ask you the same question again: Are you a true follower of Christ? Really? We love to see miracles, signs and wonders—and well we should. We praise the name of Jesus for the blessings in our lives—and well we should. But how many will take the humble road and pick up their cross daily to follow Jesus when they face persecution, a broken down car, a delayed promotion, or some other unpleasantry? Picking up your cross may mean speaking out. It may mean keeping your mouth shut. But it always means striving to walk in love and forgiveness. It always means relying on God’s grace to obey His Word. Jesus is the Word.

Pastor Youcef Nadarkhani is a true follower of Christ. Imprisoned for nearly 1,000 days in poor conditions in Iran, abused physically and emotionally, and separated from his wife and two young children, Nadarkhani nevertheless refuses to recant his faith in Christ and accept Islam.

Most of us will never have to face this choice. But we make small choices every day that demonstrate whether or not we are true followers of Christ or just giving lip service to His gospel. Of course, no one is perfect. We’re all moving from faith to faith and glory to glory. But are we pressing on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of us, laying aside everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles us? Holiness is the mandate we strive toward. God just wants a willing heart that’s quick to repent when we move in the works of the flesh instead of the fruit of the Spirit. None of us are perfect. No condemnation. The goal is to mature, and that takes a decision to really, truly follow Christ.

I’m calling on you to make a decision. Will you be part of the masses or part of the remnant? Will you be one who loves the praises of God or the praises of man? (John 12:43) Jesus made a decision for us. He gave His life for us. Shouldn’t we be willing to give this life for Him? We did nothing to deserve eternal life. We deserve eternal hell fire. But Jesus came here as humble servant to show us the way. He is the Way, but He is also the Truth. Can you handle the truth? Will you love the truth? Will you be a true follower of Christ? God’s grace is sufficient. Amen.

Jennifer LeClaire is news editor at Charisma. She is also the author of several books, including Did the Spirit of God Say That?. You can e-mail Jennifer at

[email protected] or visit her website here.

In a move to redeem some prime real estate in South Florida, a Haitian church purchased a closed strip club with the intent of turning into God’s house.

Eglise Assemblee Evangelique de Christ in Boynton Beach, Fla., bought Platinum Showgirls strip club last spring for $600,000. Though the property was theirs, they couldn’t hold services in the building until it was renovated and up to code.

The problem: finances. Eglise Assemblee spent all its money to buy the building and had been paying high rent at an interim facility. That left them without money to wrap up the redemptive project.

Then came a seemingly divine intervention. Christ Fellowship, a Palm Beach Gardens, Fla., megachurch with four campuses, heard about the congregation’s plans and chipped in a $12,000 donation to help the Haitian church complete the remodeling.

“When we heard that they were converting a former strip club into a church we were thrilled to be a part of that,” said Tom Mullins, lead pastor of Christ Fellowship.

Mullins remembers the struggles their own church endured when they built their first facility. Christ Fellowship didn’t have enough funds to buy chairs, yet the church ordered chairs with faith that God would pay the bill. When the chairs arrived, they had an unsolicited donation that covered the cost of the chairs. So when Christ Fellowship found out that Eglise was in need of chairs as well, they knew they needed to buy the chairs. Ironically, Eglise had also ordered chairs in faith.

The church’s story hit the local media and other donations came in to help finish the rest of the Eglise’s renovations. 

“Oh, Lord—I cannot explain it,” Dumont Pierre, Eglise pastor, told the Palm Beach Post. “For us, we consider this as a miracle.” —Jennifer LeClaire

©istockphoto/coreay

It’s easy to despise the day of small beginnings. Small beginnings often come with hard work and little help. Small beginnings usually offer tall resistance and modest encouragement. Small beginnings typically see limited budgets and abundant setbacks. Nevertheless, whatever God has called you to do, “Do not despise these small beginnings, for the Lord rejoices to see the work begin” (Zech. 4:10, NLT).

I remember when God planted a seed in my heart to pray for the nations. I had a large multicolored map on my wall and I was in awe of the massive opportunities for prophetic intercession. Suddenly, the Lord illuminated a tiny speck of an island on this map, one of the smallest islands in the Caribbean. This was my prayer assignment. I was somewhat disappointed. I wanted to storm the heavens of pivotal nations in the earth, but the Lord gave me a small beginning.

It was a lesson in “He who is faithful in what is least is faithful also in much” (Luke 16:10, NKJV). I prayed faithfully for that tiny nation, its people, its safety, and that the gospel would break in there and bring salvation. God would later give me more substantial intercessory assignments and later, in 2007, wake me up at midnight to share His heart about the state of America and the coming Great Awakening. “Don’t despise small beginnings, for the Lord rejoices to see the work begin” (Zech. 4:10 NLT). All promotion comes from God.

I also remember when God planted a seed in my heart to impact the nations through the written word. I had the best computer I could afford and plenty of ideas, but no platform. Suddenly, God gave me an opportunity to edit books for other Christian ministers. I did my best to add value to their work, hoping one day to write my own Christian books and materials.

Fast-forward just a few years, and my work has been read in almost every nation in the earth. Some has been archived in the Assembly of God’s Flower Pentecostal Heritage Center Museum and other works have been translated into Spanish and Korean. It was a lesson in “If you have not been faithful in what is another man’s, who will give you what is your own?” (Luke 16:12, NKJV) Put another way, when you are faithful over another man’s gift, God will let you use your own in a great way.

Now, I’m on to the biggest challenge I’ve ever tackled in my life. Something big that God uniquely called me to do. And I have to remind myself once again not to despise the day of small beginnings. The work is hard. The help is little. The resistance is tall and the encouragement lacking. The budget is limited and there have been plenty of setbacks. And yet I’ve seen God’s hand all over the small beginnings. I have to constantly remind myself “Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit” (Zech. 4:6). And I am convinced that we will see the glory of the Lord.

How about you? What has God called you to do? Are you in the day of small beginnings even now? The Lord is rejoicing to see the work begin and He will help you every step of the way. Don’t take my word for it. Look at the Bible … King David had a small beginning in a field tending sheep and experienced more intense warfare than you or I will probably ever witness. Nehemiah rebuilt the wall of Jerusalem with a remnant despite the opposition and the odds. The Bible is full of examples of God uses the foolish things of the world to confound the wise.

If you are in the day of small beginnings, take heart. Again, the Lord is rejoicing to see the work begin and He who called you to the work is faithful to strengthen your hands to do it, faithful to send workers into the field he called you to, faithful to help you overcome even the devil’s best shot, faithful to encourage you by His Spirit and with His Word, faithful to provide all of your needs according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus, and faithful to lead you into victory if you keep pressing toward the prize. He who calls you is faithful, who also will do it (1 Thess. 5:23). Amen.

Jennifer LeClaire is news editor at Charisma. She is also the author of several books, including Did the Spirit of God Say That?. You can email Jennifer at

[email protected] or visit her website here.

I surrender … I found myself saying those words  while talking with the Holy Spirit about my frustrations.

Whether you are in ministry, in the marketplace or tackling the all-important task of raising a family—or perhaps, like me, doing all three at the same time—you will no doubt come to a point in your walk with God that you feel like giving up. Paul wouldn’t have admonished us not to grow weary in well doing if he hadn’t witnessed people losing heart at times along the journey (Gal. 6:9).

But I’m here to tell you that the answer is not to quit and give up. The answer is to surrender. And there’s a vast difference between the two. As much as I want to sometimes, I’ll never admit defeat in the midst of doing something God has called me to do. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me (Phil. 4:13). And, of course, we know that God always leads us in triumph in Christ (2 Cor. 2:14). I could rattle off a few other Scriptures to drive home the point, but you get the idea.

No, as much as I want to quit sometimes, I’ll never admit defeat in the midst of doing something God has called me to do. But I have learned that there is a time to surrender the vision. Miriam-Webster defines the word surrender as “to yield to the power, control or possession of another upon compulsion or demand,” and “to give up completely or agree to forego especially in favor of another.”

Absolute Surrender
Yes, there is a time to surrender the vision. And that time is not after you’ve done everything in your fleshly power to bring it to pass. That time is not when you get so frustrated you feel like giving up. That time is not after people and circumstances have worked against the very thing God called you to do. No, the time to surrender the vision is immediately after God gives it to you.

What am I saying? If God didn’t give you the vision, there’s no use in trying to labor for it anyway. Psalm 127:1 says, “Unless the Lord builds the house, they labor in vain who build it; unless the Lord guards the city, the watchman stays awake in vain.” In other words, “’Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,’ says the Lord of hosts” (Zech. 4:6).

See, it’s not really your vision. It’s God’s vision (if it’s not, He has no obligation to empower you to bring it to pass). God has chosen you to be His hands and feet on the earth. But apart from Him you can do nothing. The faster we learn that truth and surrender to His will—obeying His way of executing the plan and yielding to His grace flowing through us to get the job done—the faster we’ll see the vision become a reality. We have to remember that it’s not about us. It’s about Him.

“Jesus said to His disciples, ‘If anyone desires to be My disciple, let him deny himself [disregard, lose sight of, and forget himself and his own interests] and take up his cross and follow Me [cleave steadfastly to Me, conform wholly to My example in living and, if need be, in dying, also]’” (Matt. 16:24 AMP).

Denying Your Rights
Deny your “right” to do things the way you think they should be done and surrender to His ways. Deny your interests in the project and surrender to His interests. Deny your feelings of frustration and surrender to His grace. When we follow Christ, we walk in peace, love, joy, righteousness and the like. When we follow our own will and our own way—even when our will and ways are eager to serve God’s vision—we just plain wear ourselves out.

I know the harvest is plenty and the laborers are few. But your crew—however small it is—is a mighty force when you surrender to God. Don’t worry about who walks away from the vision, who betrays the vision or who is too scared to execute the vision. Just surrender the vision to God and He will bring you the resources you need for the victory.

I’m reminded of Gideon. God gave him a vision to deliver Israel from the hand of the Midianites. Gideon was surrendered to God to the point that the Spirit of the Lord clothed Gideon with Himself and took possession of him (Judges 6:34). But not all of his brethren were as sold out to the vision of deliverance. Gideon started out with 22,000 men in his army and ended up with just 300 after obeying God’s instructions.

With 300 men, it seemed like an impossible task to defeat the Midianites. Surely, Gideon would not have chosen to execute God’s vision for Israel’s deliverance this way. Gideon could have gotten frustrated to see 12,000 men turn back in fear and trembling. He could have been disappointed that another 9,700 were not ultimately called to battle. He could have decided not to enter the war seemingly so ill-equipped.

Gideon’s men were faint yet pursuing the enemy as they crossed over the Jordan (Judges 8:4). No one would even give them bread to eat. Gideon had every natural reason to quit and give up. Instead, Gideon surrendered the vision to the God of the vision. And God’s vision became a reality: The Israelites conquered the Midianites so that they lifted up their heads no more. And the land had peace and rest for 40 years in the days of Gideon (Judges 8:28).

If you want peace and rest, even in the midst of the battle that rages as you co-labor with Christ to bring God’s vision to pass, don’t surrender to the enemy by quitting—surrender to God and watch Him bring it to pass. Amen.

Jennifer LeClaire is news editor at Charisma. She is also the author of several books, including Did the Spirit of God Say That?. You can e-mail Jennifer at

[email protected] or visit her website here.

A young woman called me looking for a prophetic word. She was befuddled, sore vexed and all-out desperate to hear from God about a certain situation.

This young, Spirit-filled woman, we’ll call her Tammy, insisted she just couldn’t hear from God. She had prayed. She has worshipped. She had read books on how to hear the voice of God. Yet she adamantly confessed that she could not hear a word. She called me because she wanted to me to “go to the throne” on her behalf.

Tammy went on to rehearse every detail the devil was telling her. She told me how the devil said she was going to get fired on the next round of job layoffs. She told me how the devil said her car was going to break down soon. She told me how the devil said she was going to get sick. And she was full of fear.

Can you see the contrast yet? Tammy did not believe she could hear the voice of God—and this after I had coached her for weeks on how to quiet her soul and listen for that still small voice—yet she could tell me every lie the devil was whispering in her ear with pinpoint accuracy. And her fear testified that she believed those lies.

The thief had come to steal, kill and destroy, and he was making steady progress because Tammy was willfully letting him in and, through her fear, actively entertaining his plan to make her jobless, take her transportation, and put sickness on her body. Tammy’s fear was a twisted faith in the devil’s wicked prophetic words.?

Jesus said: “Most assuredly, I say to you, he who does not enter the sheepfold by the door, but climbs up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber. But he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. To him the doorkeeper opens, and the sheep hear his voice; and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. And when he brings out his own sheep, he goes before them; and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice. Yet they will by no means follow a stranger, but will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers” (John 10:1-5).

Jesus said His sheep don’t know the voice of strangers. So why do so many Christians listen to what some demon tells them and sit up at night fretting? Why are so many Christians tormented by ungodly imaginations that exalt themselves against the knowledge of God? Why do so many Christians act on the whisperer’s tempting suggestions and fall into sin? Why do they follow the voice of strangers? Here is one reason: Those voices are no strangers. Some have given heed to those demonic voices for so long that they have become familiar—and some take their twisted advice.

Saints, it’s a sad day in the church when we become more familiar with the voice of the devil than the voice of God. I believe part of the reason for this is because too many five-fold equipping ministers are too quick to prophesy over people instead of teaching them how to discern the will of God for themselves.

When we make people dependent upon us for counsel, we are stripping them of a chance to grow in Christ. Yes, everyone needs wise counsel from time to time, especially when major life decisions are at hand. But people need to learn how to hear the voice of God for themselves, too. And sometimes that means they skin their knees while they are in training. But that’s how we learn.

God speaks to our spirit and our spirit speaks to our conscious. The devil, on the other hand, speaks straight to our unrenewed mind. When our mind is not renewed with the Word of God in a certain area, the devil works to enter as a thief and a robber to sow his dastardly seeds in our soul. He’s looking to establish a stronghold. He wants us to meditate on the false prophetic words he’s offering us and eventually give life to them by speaking them out of our mouth. Our mouth can agree with the enemy or with God. Too often, our agreement aligns with the one whose voice is loudest.

Christians are tuned in to the voice of the devil because it’s easy to hear. The devil is always blabbing like a loud mouth in a quiet movie theater. If you are thinking about giving into the special offering in the church, the devil will tell you that you can’t afford it. If you are considering going on a mission trip, the devil will tell you that you are too busy. If you are trying to stop smoking, the devil will tell you one more cigarette won’t hurt. If you have a little sniffle, the devil will tell you that you are getting sick. If people are getting laid off at work, the devil will tell you that you’re next.

God, on the other hand, will tell you that he who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly (2 Cor. 9:6). God will tell you that He supplies of all your needs according to His glorious riches in Christ Jesus (Phil 4:19). God will tell you that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost (1 Cor. 6:19). God will tell you that by His stripes you were healed (1 Peter 2:24). God will tell you the truth. The voice of strangers work to exalt demon-inspired lies over God’s truth.

Why do we listen to the voice of strangers? Again, because they are not really strangers. We’ve grown familiar with demonic voices like the voice of an old friend. But the devil is no friend. In fact, the devil is out to steal, kill and destroy your life. That’s his ministry. And he can find ministry success much more quickly if you listen to his voice and prophesy his words over your life. How can two walk together unless they are agreed? (Amos 3:3)

As for Tammy, she was deceived. Remember, she kept insisting that she could not hear the voice of God? Who do you think told her that? Was it the Holy Spirit, who comes to lead us into all truth? Or was it the thief who comes to lead us into destruction? The devil told Tammy repeatedly that she could not hear from God and she believed it, she confessed it and she walked in that reality—until we identified the voice of the stranger and cast it down. Now, she has stopped following the stranger and she is led forth by the Holy Spirit into all truth. Amen.

Jennifer LeClaire is news editor at Charisma. She is also the author of several books, including Did the Spirit of God Say That?. You can e-mail Jennifer at

[email protected] or visit her website here.

Exhaustion; that’s the best word to describe how I’ve felt for the
past three weeks. And there is no natural reason for it. I’ve been
sleeping plenty. Drinking lots of water. Getting plenty of exercise.
(Enjoying more than my quota of Starbucks!)

Yet the morning I
penned this article—despite sleeping nine hours the night before—I went
back to sleep for two hours after taking my daughter to school. And when
I woke up, I was still exhausted—and disgusted.

I was starting to wonder what was wrong with me. And then I got a friendly reminder revelation from the Holy Spirit: It’s witchcraft. Wicked witchcraft. How could I forget? It caught me off guard. Now I’m warning you.

Discerning Spiritual Climates
I don’t know where you live, but I live in South Florida where the spiritual climate often seems as hard as bronze. (Bronze heavens are part of the curse of the law, according to Deut. 28:23). South Florida is sometimes called the “evangelist’s graveyard.” The spiritual climate is intense.

Sometimes, it seems like our prayers hit a bronze ceiling and fall back down to the earth again. Of course, we know that’s not true because God hears the prayers of the righteous (Prov. 15:8). But prayer often feels like a heated battle when you are in a tight spiritual climate with strongholds like witchcraft and Jezebel. Sometimes you don’t even feel like praying.

The Bible talks about rebellion as the sin of witchcraft (1 Sam. 15:23).
Well, South Florida is home to a cornucopia of cultural rebellion
through homosexuality, an active drug scene, naughty nightclubs and the
like. The Bible talks about Jezebel and her witchcrafts (2 Kings 9:22).
Well, South Florida is home to a diverse population that has brought
Santeria from Cuba, Voodoo from Haiti and Rastafari—and God knows what
other devils—from the Caribbean islands. You might say the principalities and powers here are as eclectic as the population.

But there’s another element that contributes to the witchcraft
in my region and maybe in yours too, especially during this time of
year: Mary worship. My experience living here over the past decade tells
me that Mary worship empowers the Jezebel spirit. Remember, I’d been
exhausted for about the past three weeks. There was no natural reason for
it. But there was a supernatural reason for it. It’s no coincidence that Lent started on Feb. 22—about three weeks ago.

Mary Worship and Jezebel
See,
during Lent some people have a tendency to exalt Mary, the mother of Jesus.
But we know that’s not God’s will. God has highly exalted Jesus and
given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus
every knee must bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of
those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that He is
Lord, to the glory of the Father (Phil 2:9-11).

Where Mary is exalted, I believe it empowers the spirit of Jezebel and her witchcrafts.
Some people in some religions refer to Mary as the “Queen of Heaven.”
But Ashtoreth, the chief pagan goddess of war and sex mentioned in the
Old Testament, is also known as the Queen of Heaven. And it’s the
Ashtoreth spirit that’s behind Jezebel. The Lord speaks of the queen of heaven in Jeremiah 7,
noting that the people of Judah were giving offerings to other gods and
provoking Him to anger. The Old Testament Jezebel’s father, Ethbal, was
the high priest of the goddess Ashtoreth, the queen of heaven. Can you
connect the dots?

During Lent—at least in South Florida—the spirit of witchcraft
gets so thick it seems like you have to cut through it with a power
saw. Spiritual witchcraft (I’m not talking about practitioners of Wicca,
so you can refrain from the séances and curses against me) is a
spiritual force that causes you to feel like quitting and giving up.
From my experience, it can make you tired in your body. The imaginations
hitting your mind become more intense. And infirmities can manifest.

Indeed,
witchcraft can cause you to grow weary in well-doing and even faint if
you don’t know what you are dealing with—and how to battle it. So how do
you battle it? You battle witchcraft like you battle every other principality, power, ruler of the darkness of this age, or spiritual host of wickedness (Eph. 6:12).

Battling Jezebel’s Witchcrafts
Always
remember, we aren’t wrestling against flesh and blood, yet we do need
to put on our whole armor and engage in the battle. Passivity isn’t
going to deliver you from Jezebel’s witchcraft.

“For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare
are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting
down imaginations and every high thing that exalts itself against the
knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience
of Christ,  and being ready to punish all disobedience when your
obedience is fulfilled” (2 Cor. 10:3-6).

When it comes to witchcraft,
we have to withstand it. The Amplified Bible says to “be firm in faith
[against his onset—rooted, established, strong, immovable, and
determined]” (1 Peter 5:9).
It’s easy enough to give in to witchcraft, especially if you don’t know
what is attacking you. So again, when you feel like giving up, when you
feel tired for no reason, when you have strong confusion, when you are
fighting an intense battle in your mind, and when infirmities are
manifesting, it could be witchcraft. Resist it at its
onset. Cast it off. Submit yourself to God. Resist the devil [stand firm
against him], and he will flee from you (James 4:7 AMP).

Again,
submit yourself to the Lordship of Christ. Exalt His name. Thank Him
for His blood. Rejoice in the Lord. This morning, before I even
recognized I was covered with witchcraft I turned on some music and
began to worship God. Praise and worship carry breakthrough. That’s often all it takes to change the spiritual climate in your home. And that’s where we should start because He is worthy of our adoration.

If
worship doesn’t break the witchcraft, take authority over it in the
name above all names. Witchcraft has to bow at the name of Jesus. But
make sure you don’t have any common ground with the enemy. Repent for
any rebellion in your heart and surrender your will anew to God.
Remember, we are more than conquerors in Christ and no weapon formed
against us can prosper—not even witchcraft. Our job is to be spiritually
discerning enough to catch the devil at his onset, resist him, rebuke
him and praise God for the victory. Amen.

Jennifer LeClaire is news editor at Charisma. She is also the author of several books, including The Heart of the Prophetic. You can e-mail Jennifer at

[email protected] or visit her website here.

Exhaustion; that’s the best word to describe how I’ve felt for the past two weeks. And there is no natural reason for it. I’ve been sleeping plenty. Drinking lots of water. Getting plenty of exercise. (Enjoying more than my quota of Starbucks!)

Yet the morning I penned this article—despite sleeping nine hours the night before—I went back to sleep for two hours after taking my daughter to school. And when I woke up, I was still exhausted—and disgusted.

I was starting to wonder what was wrong with me. And then I got a friendly reminder revelation from the Holy Spirit: It’s witchcraft. Wicked witchcraft. How could I forget? It caught me off guard. Now I’m warning you.

Discerning Spiritual Climates
I don’t know where you live, but I live in South Florida where the spiritual climate often seems as hard as bronze. (Bronze heavens are part of the curse of the law, according to Deut. 28:23). South Florida is sometimes called the “evangelist’s graveyard.” The spiritual climate is intense.

Sometimes, it seems like our prayers hit a bronze ceiling and fall back down to the earth again. Of course, we know that’s not true because God hears the prayers of the righteous (Prov. 15:8). But prayer often feels like a heated battle when you are in a tight spiritual climate with strongholds like witchcraft and Jezebel. Sometimes you don’t even feel like praying.

The Bible talks about rebellion as the sin of witchcraft (1 Sam. 15:23). Well, South Florida is home to a cornucopia of cultural rebellion through homosexuality, an active drug scene, naughty nightclubs and the like. The Bible talks about Jezebel and her witchcrafts (2 Kings 9:22). Well, South Florida is home to a diverse population that has brought Santeria from Cuba, Voodoo from Haiti and Rastafari—and God knows what other devils—from the Caribbean islands. You might say the principalities and powers here are as eclectic as the population.

But there’s another element that contributes to the witchcraft in my region and maybe in yours too, especially during this time of year: Mary worship. My experience living here over the past decade tells me that Mary worship empowers the Jezebel spirit. Remember, I’d been exhausted for about the past two weeks. There was no natural reason for it. But there was a supernatural reason for it. It’s no coincidence that Lent started on Feb. 22—about two weeks ago.

Mary Worship and Jezebel
See, during Lent some have a tendency to exalt Mary, the mother of Jesus. But we know that’s not God’s will. God has highly exalted Jesus and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee must bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that He is Lord, to the glory of the Father (Phil 2:9-11).

Where Mary is exalted, I believe it empowers the spirit of Jezebel and her witchcrafts. Some people in some religions refer to Mary as the “Queen of Heaven.” But Ashtoreth, the chief pagan goddess of war and sex mentioned in the Old Testament, is also known as the Queen of Heaven. And it’s the Ashtoreth spirit that’s behind Jezebel. The Lord speaks of the queen of heaven in Jeremiah 7, noting that the people of Judah were giving offerings to other gods and provoking Him to anger. The Old Testament Jezebel’s father, Ethbal, was the high priest of the goddess Ashtoreth, the queen of heaven. Can you connect the dots?

During Lent—at least in South Florida—the spirit of witchcraft gets so thick it seems like you have to cut through it with a power saw. Spiritual witchcraft (I’m not talking about practitioners of Wicca, so you can refrain from the séances and curses against me) is a spiritual force that causes you to feel like quitting and giving up. From my experience, it can make you tired in your body. The imaginations hitting your mind become more intense. And infirmities can manifest.

Indeed, witchcraft can cause you to grow weary in well-doing and even faint if you don’t know what you are dealing with—and how to battle it. So how do you battle it? You battle witchcraft like you battle every other principality, power, ruler of the darkness of this age, or spiritual host of wickedness (Eph. 6:12).

Battling Jezebel’s Witchcrafts
Always remember, we aren’t wrestling against flesh and blood, yet we do need to put on our whole armor and engage in the battle. Passivity isn’t going to deliver you from Jezebel’s witchcraft.

“For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down imaginations and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ,  and being ready to punish all disobedience when your obedience is fulfilled” (2 Cor. 10:3-6).

When it comes to witchcraft, we have to withstand it. The Amplified Bible says to “be firm in faith [against his onset—rooted, established, strong, immovable, and determined]” (1 Peter 5:9). It’s easy enough to give in to witchcraft, especially if you don’t know what is attacking you. So again, when you feel like giving up, when you feel tired for no reason, when you have strong confusion, when you are fighting an intense battle in your mind, and when infirmities are manifesting, it could be witchcraft. Resist it at its onset. Cast it off. Submit yourself to God. Resist the devil [stand firm against him], and he will flee from you (James 4:7 AMP).

Again, submit yourself to the Lordship of Christ. Exalt His name. Thank Him for His blood. Rejoice in the Lord. This morning, before I even recognized I was covered with witchcraft I turned on some music and began to worship God. Praise and worship carry breakthrough. That’s often all it takes to change the spiritual climate in your home. And that’s where we should start because He is worthy of our adoration.

If worship doesn’t break the witchcraft, take authority over it in the name above all names. Witchcraft has to bow at the name of Jesus. But make sure you don’t have any common ground with the enemy. Repent for any rebellion in your heart and surrender your will anew to God. Remember, we are more than conquerors in Christ and no weapon formed against us can prosper—not even witchcraft. Our job is to be spiritually discerning enough to catch the devil at his onset, resist him, rebuke him and praise God for the victory. Amen.

Jennifer LeClaire is news editor at Charisma. She is also the author of several books, including The Heart of the Prophetic. You can e-mail Jennifer at

[email protected] or visit her website here.

Although the Holy Spirit speaks expressly, we see through a glass darkly. Sure, it’s easy enough to understand the words of that still, small voice in your spirit. But impressions, dreams and visions aren’t always as clear as we’d like them to be—and reasoning blocks discernment.

I remember a time when a friend of mine was planning a trip to Los Angeles. She told me she was nervous about going, but I reasoned that it was a natural case of “the nerves” because she had an important meeting there. The week before she left, I started to get impressions that something bad was going to happen to her in Los Angeles. But it was like seeing through a glass darkly.

At first, I thought it was just fear. I was going through a major trial at the time and had so much coming at me from so many different directions that sorting through it all was more than a little challenging. Nevertheless, I pled the blood of Jesus and claimed the promises in Psalm 91 over my friend every day. The impressions—what I reasoned were imaginations—didn’t stop. Yet I never had a clear word of the Lord “come unto me saying.”

For example, thoughts crossed my mind of a bad car accident. Thoughts crossed my mind of what I would do if she were killed in a car accident. I cast down those imaginations and every high and lofty thing that exalted itself against the knowledge of God and instead proclaimed the knowledge of God over her: continually pleading the blood of Jesus, rebuking every assignment of the enemy and claiming Bible of protection over her life. I did this every day for the week before she left.

I never told my friend about this because, honestly, I was seeing through a glass darkly. I reasoned that it was just a spirit of fear coming against my mind in the midst of a trial. Reasoning blocks discernment. What I didn’t know is that my friend was having dreams about a bad accident on her trip. She reasoned that it was just a spirit of fear coming against her mind. She never shared it with me. Reasoning blocks discernment.

If my friend had told me about the bad feelings and the dreams she was having—or if I had told her about impressions I was sensing—we could have united against it in prayer. On my own, I put 1,000 to flight. But as it turned out, we needed to put 10,000 to flight. My friend was hit head-on by a drunk driver at 8:30 a.m. while sitting in the back of a taxicab. The seatbelts were broken. All she could do was brace for impact.

At about 8:35 a.m. I received a text message from her phone with three characters: “911.” When I called back, another voice on the line told me the terrible news and informed me she had a broken nose, fractured cheeks and was being examined for other injuries. Condemnation flooded my soul. I felt horrible about what had happened. I felt somewhat responsible. But the Comforter quickly arrived on the scene to remind me that I had prayed over her every day and that prayer played a role in saving her life. I didn’t know she was having the same impressions.

Although the Holy Spirit speaks expressly, we see through a glass darkly (1 Cor. 13:12)—and hindsight is 20/20. Looking back, it’s clear that the Holy Spirit was warning my friend that the devil had plotted an assignment against her in Hollywood. She reasoned herself out of Spirit-led wisdom and went on the journey anyway. It’s also clear that the Holy Spirit was warning me about the impending danger. I reasoned myself out of Spirit-led wisdom and decided not to tell my “nervous” friend because I didn’t want to make her more nervous.

Did the warnings give my friend the presence of mind she needed to see the truck coming before it hit the taxi, crouch down between the seats, and brace herself for the impact? Did my prayers allow God to prevent more suffering and loss, and maybe even save her life? Should my friend have declined to go on the trip in the face of her dreams? If we had discussed it, would there have been a confirmation that would have unlocked more revelation?

I think the answer to all of those questions is yes. Despite our reasoning and failure to communicate with one another about the warnings, the Holy Spirit got through enough to cause us both to take actions that minimized the damage.

So what’s the lesson from all this? If you aren’t sure something is the Holy Ghost, ask Him. When the Holy Ghost shows us something, press in to seek more details. When the Holy Spirit gives you an impression, ask Him if you are supposed to share it with someone else or just pray. And always pray. The same God who is giving you the prophetic warning will tell you what to do next if you ask Him. He will lead you and guide you into all truth because He is the Spirit of Truth. Pray always and when you catch your mind trying to reason out a prophetic revelation, let your spirit man rise up and take control. And always remember, reasoning blocks discernment.

Jennifer LeClaire is news editor at Charisma. She is also the author of several books, including The Heart of the Prophetic. You can e-mail Jennifer at

[email protected] or visit her website here.

I was raised in spiritual warfare. By that I mean, soon after I got saved I plugged into an apostolic church
that vowed to run to the battle line to wrestle spirits of Jezebel,
witchcraft, religion—and whatever else was opposing the purposes of God.

My church home was akin to a spiritual war zone. We were always on red alert through prophetic warnings,
dreams and visions about the next attack. Indeed, spiritual warfare was
a consistent thread in most of the praise, worship, equipping classes,
Sunday morning sermons and leadership lessons.

You might call it
“extreme apostolic.” We hunted down the demon(s) behind every doorknob
like a child with a sweet tooth hunts for chocolate Easter eggs. Looking
back, it seemed at times like a contest to determine who could present
the most detailed dream or vision about the enemy’s impending plan. Once
the enemy was spotted, a shouting match with the principality or power
ensued that left you with a sore throat—and no respite from the warfare.

I was in a spiritual warfare ditch, where the
enemy and his plans were ultimately exalted over God and His plans.
Don’t get me wrong. I believe wholeheartedly in spiritual warfare. But
we can get into a ditch with any principle if we take it to the extreme.
So we have to ask ourselves: What causes us to take biblical principles
to the extreme?

There’s no single answer but we can guard ourselves from deception
by adding balance and soberness of mind to our vigilance. Our enemy is
roaming around like a lion seeking someone to seize upon and devour—and
getting out of balance opens a door wide enough for him to freely enter (1 Peter 5:8 AMP).

Another prophetic key is exercising the gift of discernment.
(Imagine that!) Over time, some spiritual warriors develop an unwritten
checklist of principalities and powers to target—Jezebel, witchcraft,
religion, etc.—yet never bind the strongman because they aren’t taking a
prophetic perspective. I wonder how many people are praying rote spiritual warfare
prayers and seeing no change—and maybe even watching matters getting
worse—because the real enemy is allowed to roam free while we recite the
same old demon hitlist out of habit.

Why not step back and pray
about the root of the matter? When you do, you’ll be more successful in
battling what’s battling you because you open the door wide enough for Holy Ghost wisdom
to freely enter. It may be that you need to repent for something you
are doing that’s allowing the devil to manifest in your midst. It could
be that when you shut the door to that sin, the devil can no longer gain
entrance through the open breach in the wall. Or, it could be that an
enemy you’ve never fought before is attacking you—and you need true spiritual discernment to identify the attacker.

Then
again, it could be possible that you are in a completely different
ditch. Maybe you aren’t going on the offense against the devil at all.
Maybe you aren’t doing your part to protect your spiritual garden from
demonic weeds. The problem is, God won’t do our part for us. He’s given
us authority in this earth realm. He’s done all He’s going to do about
the devil. Jesus gave us His authority, as well as keys to the kingdom. Whatever we bind on earth is bound in heaven. And whatever we loose on earth is loosed in heaven (Matt. 16:19). In other words, we can’t blame God when the devil gets in. We’re the ones who allow it.

Again,
I started out in an extreme spiritual warfare ditch, where even worship
music was an exercise in combat. Yet having escaped a church were
strife ruled and reigned—and in which Jezebel was
typically blamed for most of the rumblings in the congregation—I entered
into a prophetic church that took an opposite approach. And I entered
another spiritual warfare ditch.

During my extended season at this prophetic church, I never heard them bind Jezebel once—not even once. I never heard any one come against witchcraft or rebuke the spirit of religion.
All they did was praise and worship the Lord for hours on end and roll
around on the floor and laugh. This was unusual for me, perhaps
especially so after exiting the extreme apostolic. It was actually
refreshing. I enjoyed it—until I realized I was in another ditch when I
got blindsided by the enemy.

Yes, our praise and worship in the
midst of the battle confuses the enemy and shows our faith in God’s
deliverance. God likes that. But God is not going to do our part.
Although I agree that the battle is the Lord’s and we can praise Him
knowing He’s fighting on our behalf, we still have to be prepared to
exercise our God-given authority. David was a worshipper, but he was
also a warrior. He knew when to draw a sword, and he knew when to draw
praise from his lips unto God.

After living in both extremes, I have learned a lesson: we must all become skilled warriors and intimate worshippers. In doing so, we avoid either ditch of extremism and walk in the discernment of the Holy Ghost, knowing when to run to the battle line and knowing when to worship.

A wise man once said, “To everything there is a season, and a time for every matter or purpose under heaven (Eccl. 3:1).” When you go to war, go with the right strategy. Sometimes that means prophetic worship.
Other times it’s prophetic warfare. Many times it’s a combination of
both. Ultimately, Jesus must be the center of our focus. The Lord is a
warrior; the Lord is His name (Exodus 15:3). And He is worthy to be praised.

Jennifer LeClaire is news editor at Charisma. She is also the author of several books, including The Heart of the Prophetic. You can email Jennifer at

[email protected] or visit her website here.