You know all too well that you are in a spiritual war against principalities, powers, rulers of the darkness of this world and spiritual wickedness in high places. But have you ever considered that you are also in a spiritual war against your own carnal lusts?

When Paul said we don’t wrestle against flesh and blood (Eph. 6:12), he did not mean that we don’t wrestle against fleshly temptations. Indeed, we know that carnal lusts war against our soul (1 Peter 2:11). We have to engage in this battle in order to walk out the victory we already have in Christ. We have to declare war on carnal lusts or we may wind up buffeting the air in the name of Jesus while the enemy has his wicked way in our lives.

Before you dismiss this article because you aren’t living in immorality, consider that carnal lusts include more than sexual sin. Vine’s Dictionary defines lust as a “strong desire” of any kind. Although the Bible uses lust in a positive context three times, the Word of God most often describes it as a root of sin. Lust is associated with pride, greed and other strong desires that lead us out of God’s will.

“Let no one say when he is tempted, ‘I am being tempted by God’; for God cannot be tempted by evil, and He Himself does not tempt anyone. But each one is tempted when he is carried away and enticed by his own lust. Then when lust has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and when sin is accomplished, it brings forth death” (James 1:13-15, NASB).

We must wage war on carnal lusts because these strong desires ultimately bring forth death in our lives. Paul understood this all too well. Paul not only wrestled the beast at Ephesus (1 Cor. 15:32), he also wrestled his own carnal desires. He shared his heart in the book of Romans. He knew the right thing to do, but the power of sin kept sabotaging his best intentions. He had a will to do what is right, but an inability to follow through. He would decide not to do bad, then do bad anyway. Sound familiar? Listen in to Paul’s confession:

“Something has gone wrong deep within me and gets the better of me every time. It happens so regularly that it’s predictable. The moment I decide to do good, sin is there to trip me up. I truly delight in God’s commands, but it’s pretty obvious that not all of me joins in that delight. Parts of me covertly rebel, and just when I least expect it, they take charge. I’ve tried everything and nothing helps. I’m at the end of my rope. Is there no one who can do anything for me? Isn’t that the real question?” (Romans 7:20-24, MSG).

That is the real question. But thanks be to God who always causes us to triumph in Christ (2 Cor. 2:14). Jesus Christ acted to set things right in a life of contradictions where Paul wanted to serve God with all his heart and mind, but was pulled by his carnal nature to do something totally different. Christ is our secret weapon in the war against carnal lusts, too. Paul won the war against his soul—and he showed us how to win, too. Consider his advice:

“The night is far spent, the day is at hand. Therefore let us cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light. Let us walk properly, as in the day, not in revelry and drunkenness, not in lewdness and lust, not in strife and envy. But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts” (Romans 13:12-14, NKJV).

Listen to the words of Paul. He tells us to do several things in rapid-fire succession, one building upon another. We first must cast off the works of darkness before we can put on the armor of light. Only then can we walk properly. Apart from Christ, we can do nothing. That’s why Paul exhorts us to put on the Lord Jesus Christ.

But practically speaking, how do we walk this out? By having a righteous consciousness rather than a sin consciousness. By walking in the principles of the Spirit. By renewing our mind with the Word of God. By fleeing the scene of sinful temptations. And by surrendering to God.

We need a righteousness consciousness. Here’s our Sword: “Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord. Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in its lusts. And do not present your members as instruments of unrighteousness to sin, but present yourselves to God as being alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God” (Romans 6:11-13). You are dead to sin. Keep reminding yourself of that. You are alive to God in Christ. Christ lives in you. Meditate on that. The Holy Spirit dwells in you. You are endued with power to overcome all the power of the enemy. Act as if you believe it.

We need to walk by the principles of the Spirit. Here’s our Sword: “I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh” (Gal. 5:16). How do you know when you are walking by the principles of the Spirit? Examine the fruit. The works of the flesh are: adultery; fornication; uncleanness; lewdness; idolatry; sorcery; hatred; contentions; jealousy; outbursts of wrath; selfish ambitions; dissensions; heresies; envy; murder; drunkenness; revelries and the like (Gal. 5:19-21). By contrast, the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control (Gal. 5:22-23).

We need to continually renew our mind. Here’s our Sword: “But you have not so learned Christ, if indeed you have heard Him and have been taught by Him, as the truth is in Jesus: that you put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness” (Eph. 4:20-24). Confess that you are renewed in the spirit of your mind and put on the new man every day, just like you put on your whole armor of God. Put another way, meditate on who you are in Christ.

We need to flee the scene of sinful temptations. Here’s our Sword: “Flee also youthful lusts; but pursue righteousness, faith, love, peace with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart” (2 Timothy 2:22). It’s not enough to flee the scene of the lust. We must also pursue something else, namely righteousness, faith, love and peace. Get your mind off the temptation and onto your Father’s business.

Ultimately, we need to surrender to God. Here’s our Sword: “Submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you” (James 4:7). When you submit to God—when you submit to the principles of the Word and the Spirit—you are resisting the devil. Lust is not irresistible. When lust comes knocking on the door of your mind, don’t ignore it. Confront it with the weapons of your warfare, which are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds—including lust.

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

@ or visit her website here.

Medical doctors call it Usher syndrome. It’s a disorder that causes deafness and gradual loss of sight.

You may have heard about it in the news in recent years. Jacob, the 9-year-old son of star horse jockey Kent Desormeaux, is suffering from the disease. Jacob is progressively going blind, and more quickly than anticipated. Doctors say one day he may not be able to see at all.

As a parent, this tears at my heart. I can’t even imagine this father’s pain, watching as his son slowly but surely loses his senses of sight and hearing; realizing his son will soon be unable to hear his voice or see his smiling face. But this natural example also awakened my spirit to the Father’s pain in watching some of His own children slowly but surely lose their senses of sight and hearing—through spiritual deception.

Like Usher syndrome, deception is progressive. I don’t believe people move from worshipping God to worshipping angels overnight, for example. Nor do I believe one leaps from the practical study of biblical types and shadows to practicing occultism quickly. It starts with a little erroneous fox. Just as the Word of God warns us how one sin can lead to another sin (read: David and Bathsheba) it is also true that one error can lead us into another error. One wrong belief can cause us to believe many wrong things.

Of course, the devil first has to seduce us before he can deceive us and he’ll usually start with something that seems on the up and up. After all, the apostle Paul warned us that Satan transforms himself into an angel of light (2 Cor. 11:14). But with the written Word of God and all its warnings about deceiving spirits to guide us, how does deception get its stronghold? Well, one way is ignorance of the Word of God and the ways of God. But I also believe deception finds a doorway in the idolatry of our hearts.

The Bible says the heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked (Jer. 17:9). If that’s true, and it is, then none of us are above deception. If we think we are, then we’re deceived already. But the good news is Jesus sent the Holy Ghost to lead and guide us into all truth; truth that is readily confirmed in the canon of Scripture. If we follow His Spirit and His written Word instead of the idolatry of our hearts, we’ll walk in the light.

Idolatry is always a danger. The apostle Paul lists it as a work of the flesh (Gal. 5:20). But the same apostle, inspired by the Holy Spirit, also told us to flee from idolatry (1 Cor. 10:14). The Word of God never instructs us to do something the grace of God won’t empower us to do. We simply have to get into agreement.

Noteworthy is a comparison between two Scriptures that deal with fleeing. The Bible implores us to submit ourselves to God, “resist the devil and he will flee” (James 4:7). The Bible doesn’t say idolatry will flee from you. Rather, it says we have to flee from idolatry. Why? Because idolatry allows the tempter to get a foothold if we don’t turn our hearts toward God’s will instead of our own. Consider Paul’s warning:

“God is faithful [to His Word and to His compassionate nature], and He [can be trusted] not to let you be tempted and tried and assayed beyond your ability and strength of resistance and power to endure, but with the temptation He will [always] also provide the way out (the means of escape to a landing place), that you may be capable and strong and powerful to bear up under it patiently.

“Therefore, my dearly beloved, shun (keep clear away from, avoid by flight if need be) any sort of idolatry (of loving or venerating anything more than God). I am speaking as to intelligent (sensible) men. Think over and make up your minds [for yourselves] about what I say. [I appeal to your reason and your discernment in these matters.]” (1 Cor. 10:13-15, AMP).

So we can’t blame all this deception business on the devil. Nor can we be ignorant to his devices. Part of his ministry is to find the idolatry in our hearts: the deceitfulness of riches, the pride of life, the lust of the flesh or something else that causes us to give God’s place to another. Once Satan finds that idolatry he’ll tempt you with it. At that point we have a clear choice: Destroy the idol or walk into darkness.

We must partner with the Lord in guarding our hearts with all diligence from deception in these last days. Again, most of us wouldn’t consider turning to occultic practices to discover hidden meanings in the name of prophecy. Yet some have fallen into this snare. Likewise, most of us wouldn’t exalt angels to a place they don’t deserve—or even want. And most of us wouldn’t offer strange fire in the name of Jesus. Yet, we see these things happening in the body of Christ even now.

Again, deception is progressive. It starts with those little foxes. Guarding our hearts from deception means being humble enough to acknowledge that we are capable of being deceived. It also means setting our minds on Christ and putting first the Kingdom. As far as the world is concerned we have died, and our real life is hidden with Christ in God (Col. 3:3). Guarding ourselves from deception, then, means taking the apostle Paul’s advice:

“Kill (deaden, deprive of power) the evil desire lurking in your members [those animal impulses and all that is earthly in you that is employed in sin]: sexual vice, impurity, sensual appetites, unholy desires, and all greed and covetousness, for that is idolatry (the deifying of self and other created things instead of God)” (Col. 3:5, AMP).

Prophets are called to holiness, humility, and should be turning hearts away from sin toward God, not mysticism, angels or anything else. We’ve watched some in prophetic ministry stray from its purpose, sometimes for the sake of not appearing ‘religious.’ Yes, we want to make room for God to move how He wants and to avoid the trap of a religious spirit that would quench His operations. But does that mean we throw our discernment out stained glass windows to prove we’re open-minded? God forbid.

Consider 9-year-old Jacob. While there is deliverance from deception, there is currently no cure for Usher syndrome. That means Jacob will soon lose his sight. This is not God’s will. So I ask you, what would it be like if the church rose up in power, equipping the saints with the truth to see signs of God—like healing the sick and opening blind eyes—following them that believe? I submit to you that Christ would be getting the glory He deserves and young Jacob would be able to hear the sound of his father’s voice and see him cross the finish line of a world-class horse race again.

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

@ or visit her website here.

Rich Wilkerson has 2020 Vision—the name of his goal to reach 100,000 souls for Christ before 2020 by planting satellite campuses of Trinity Church across South Florida.

With its Miami Gardens facility jammed to capacity with four weekend services that minister to more than 4,000 members—and with a fast-growth online campus reaching about 500 people a week—Trinity returned to its roots by reopening its original church building in September.

“We’ve been crying for space,” Wilkerson says. “My cousin, David Wilkerson, used to tell me to put all my eggs in one basket and then guard that basket with my life. He said you can never be dynamic until you become specific. So we’re reopening our original campus and we plan to launch on South Beach or midtown Miami next, God willing.”

In South Beach, seeds were sown recently when a Trinity youth conference jammed a 2,500-seat theater three nights in a row. 

Wilkerson was appointed as senior pastor of Trinity Church in 1998. Since then, the church has grown about 10 percent a year. Now the church is witnessing exponential growth, in part, via community evangelism. 

Trinity Church’s model of ministry works to help transform the lives of individuals and families in its community. First, the church addresses the physical needs for food, clothing and medical attention. That opens the door to address the spiritual condition. Then Trinity takes the next step and helps people with challenges such as job training, purchasing a home and parenting.

Nearly 200 Trinity volunteers are returning to the north Miami campus to launch the new location. In the weeks before the launch, members knocked on the doors of their neighbors, shared the gospel, prayed for the sick, and invited the lost and unchurched to come back to God’s house. Wilkerson and his staff are working to put the infrastructure in place to serve 10,000 members in weekend services.

The biggest challenge is dollars. Trinity campuses are located in inner-city areas of Miami. And although Wilkerson says his members are faithful tithers and generous givers, their income levels don’t match more affluent Miami neighborhoods. But that’s OK with Wilkerson because then, he says, God gets all the glory for growing His church.

After 18 years as an evangelist, Wilkerson is convinced that the final push for souls will come through local churches that continue to focus on reaching unchurched people. He believes God will provide grace and resources for them.

“You can go to suburbia, but give me the city. Paul was a city preacher,” Wilkerson said. “He went right to the center of where the pain was and he attacked the pain. That’s what we’ve got to do, and I see it happening across this country. Men and women who are just fearless and full of the Holy Ghost—I love them.”

Carl Keyes has been working tirelessly to change the lives of individuals and communities around the world for decades. Now the founder of Aid for the World, an international humanitarian-aid organization, is spearheading a project of a different kind in his own backyard: a safe house for young girls rescued from the sex-slave industry.

“I get hundreds of emails every week from people that need help,” Keyes says. “Of course, I can’t help everybody, but when I read an email about a woman who was trying to rescue girls from forced prostitution and needed help renovating a historic home to house them, it felt right,” he adds, noting that the woman, Debbie Colton, had read about his organization in Charisma and decided to pursue his help.

“What has happened to these girls is not even human. Family members or boyfriends get young girls hooked on drugs, they are chained to a bed, and 25 to 30 times a day a man comes into their room for sex,” Keyes says. “When Debbie told me about this, I hit the ground crying and praying. I had to do something.”

Keyes rallied volunteer construction troops to the north central Pennsylvania site where the old home sits. When completed this month, the safe house will be home to eight girls, ages 12 to 15, who the FBI rescued during raids on sex-slave operations. The state classifies the safe house as a group home, which means the girls will remain there until they are able to function in society.

The need is great. According to the FBI, a California human-trafficking organization that was discovered in 2008 physically threatened and beat girls as young as 12 to make them work as prostitutes—and also threatened them with witchcraft. Estimates for the number of children and teens forced into the sex-slave industry range from 1 million to 5 million.

Colton isn’t standing for it. During their 28-year marriage, she and her husband, Danny, have raised more than 70 kids. The former youth pastors have even welcomed into their home girls who have been trafficked by their parents for drug money. Until they did this, she had no idea the sex-slave industry had crept into U.S. borders.

“My husband and I received a prophetic word about five years ago,” Colton says. “The Lord said there was a new ministry on the horizon and not to fear what I would see on the other side, but just to go, and He would go before us and come behind us, and doors would just open. That’s what happened with Carl.”

Although it’s a dangerous ministry—the pimps could seek out the girls and try to drag them back into sex slavery during their stay at the safe house—Colton has no fear. She is following the Spirit of God into this new ministry with a heart of love for these hurting girls.

“We want to build more homes on this land. There’s a huge need for young girls that have been rescued from sex slavery and need a safe place to recover,” Colton says. “They need a place where they can be homeschooled, where they can be counseled and where they can receive God’s love.”  

Throughout history, people have quipped about revenge. Filmmaker Alfred Hitchcock liked to say, “Revenge is sweet and not fattening.” Edward Gibbon believed, “Revenge is profitable, gratitude is expensive.” And you’ve probably heard it said, “I’m back with a vengeance.”·

I have to admit it. I’ve been tempted to take vengeance on those who have wronged me. I could take justified legal action to collect 12 years of unpaid child support and have enough money to go on an extravagant European vacation. I could justifiably file suit against the brother in Christ who ran off on Christmas Eve with $10,000 of my cash, never finishing the job he was paid for and leaving me with one toilet, no shower and no kitchen. I could expose those who have spread malicious lies about me and bring them to public shame.

Yes, I’ve been tempted to take revenge. But the Lord makes it emphatically clear that vengeance belongs to Him—and He will repay (Romans 12:19). Despite the emotions that rose up when I was wronged, I ultimately believe God’s vengeance will work out better for me than any forceful yet feeble attempt I could make to even the score. God sees everything. That’s why I reject the quips of Hitchcock and Gibbon in favor of the idea that Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius offered, “The best revenge is to be unlike him who performed the injury.”

When we take revenge into our own hands—when we try to punish someone who injured us physically, emotionally or financially—we are playing God. More than that, we aren’t trusting God. More than that, we are tying the hands of a just God who wants to make it up to us. And more than that, we cause our souls greater damage. When we decide to forgive the matter, we become more like Christ, we display our trust in God, and we give God free reign to make it up to us.

Wouldn’t it be better, then, to come back without a vengeance? That’s what I’ve done, and that’s what I would suggest you do. (Of course, I’m suggesting it. God commands it.) It’s been said that living well is the best revenge. It’s difficult to live well—or to do much else for God—when we are plotting and planning to swap railing for railing. Jesus said to love and pray for your enemies (Matthew 5:44). And Peter warned: “Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult … [but] with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing” (1 Peter 3:9, NIV).

When you leave the vengeance to God, there’s always a blessing in it. First of all, you are obeying Scripture. If you are willing and obedient, you will eat the good of the land (Isaiah 1:19). Read Deuteronomy 28 for the many blessings that fall upon the obedient. Obey the Lord’s command to forgive, and you will be blessed. It’s not always easy, but stand on this promise: “Be strong, do not fear! Behold, your God will come with vengeance, with the recompense of God; He will come and save you” (Isaiah 35:4, NKJV).

When you leave the vengeance to God, you will also see healing and restoration in your life. An old Dutch proverb says, “The tree of revenge does not carry fruit.” I disagree. I believe the tree of revenge carries rotten fruit. But the tree of forgiveness yields the fruit of emotional healing. Seventeenth Century British author John Milton put it this way, “He that studieth revenge keepeth his own wounds green, which otherwise would heal and do well.” Your emotional well-being is connected to forgiveness, and so is God’s justice.

When you leave the vengeance to God, it makes a statement in and of itself. Believe me, when you commit your spirit to God, the people who know the wrong you suffered can discern the difference between the spirit your enemies moved in and the spirit you are moving in.

Let me give you a practical example: About a year after I was sorely persecuted by some believers who were angry that I moved on, several people came to me and shared how they watched the public attacks on the Internet against me—and witnessed how I never retaliated or even defended myself. That spoke volumes about who was moving in the wrong spirit. That in itself was vindication enough, but I know God has an even greater repayment in mind.

“An eye for an eye would make the whole world blind,” Ghandi said. Indeed, someone has to be the bigger man. Somebody has to be willing to obey God. Somebody has to decide to live the Sermon on the Mount lifestyle—a lifestyle that blesses and prays for the enemy. English philosopher, statesman, scientist, lawyer, jurist, author and pioneer Francis Bacon put it this way: “In taking revenge, a man is but even with his enemy; but in passing it over, he is superior.”

My brothers and sisters, God is your vindicator. Vengeance is His. He will repay. Next time you are wronged, launch into prayer. I find Psalm 17 especially helpful: “Hear a just cause, o Lord, attend to my cry; give ear to my prayer which is not from deceitful lips. Let my vindication come from Your presence; Let Your eyes look on the things that are upright” (vv. 1-2).

And remember this: Living well is the best revenge anyway, and living well means living according to the Word of God. He will take care of the rest.

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

@ or visit her website here.

Jesus is the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end, the Author and Finisher of our faith. Notice that Jesus is the Finisher. He always finishes what He starts—and He wants us to finish the God-inspired initiatives we start, too.

To be sure, one of the keys of the kingdom is the “key of finishing.” It unlocks the blessing of increase and is a clear manifestation of kingship.

Jesus is our example. Jesus was always concerned about finishing the work His Father sent Him to do. He saw the blessing on the other side of finishing. He had His eyes on the prize—the blessing—that came after He finished.

We see in John 5:36 that Jesus had certain works to finish, and God was counting on Him to finish those works: “But I have a greater witness than John’s; for the works which the Father has given Me to finish—the very works that I do—bear witness of Me, that the Father has sent Me.”

Jesus told His disciples to follow His example and explained the importance of finishing in Luke 14:27-30: “And whoever does not bear his cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple. For which of you, intending to build a tower, does not sit down first and count the cost, whether he has enough to finish it—lest, after he has laid the foundation, and is not able to finish, all who see it begin to mock him, saying, ‘This man began to build and was not able to finish’?”

Before we rush out into a new project with high emotion, we need to be sure the Spirit of God is leading us—and we need to be prepared to pay the price to finish. Failing to finish can lead to unpleasant consequences, even if it’s only disappointment in yourself. That disappointment can cause you to lose confidence. Christ wants us to be confident in Him working through us. As kings and priests unto God, we need to finish what we start—even if we are persecuted along the way—and we need to depend in Christ to partner with us to get the job done. He is able, and He is faithful.

Never let persecution cause you not to finish a thing. That’s just what the devil wants, which is a strong reason why he launches an attack. Jesus was persecuted, but He finished anyway. He finished even to the point of death. And when it was finished, He announced it: “When Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, ‘It is finished!’ And bowing His head, He gave up His spirit” (John 19:30). Jesus didn’t quit until the end. And when it was finished, He soon rose back up to complete His next assignment: sitting at the right hand of the Father making intercession for us. Praise Jesus!

Think about it for a minute. If Jesus had not finished, then all the stripes He took, all the shame He faced, all the pain He endured, would have been for nothing. Without that final act of finishing, the sin of the world would not be atoned for. He had to completely finish the task so that all of mankind could be restored to kingship and blessed with eternal life.

Jesus said He who endures to the end shall be saved (Matthew 10:22). He expects us to finish the work God has given us. It brings Him glory when we finish. Yes, we may also have to press through pain to finish a God-given assignment. When that’s the case, we need to keep our eyes on the prize. Ultimately, the key of finishing requires Christ-like character, specifically endurance, focus and discipline.

Jesus and Paul offer us some examples of how to work the key of finishing.

Jesus wasn’t concerned about food and drink, He was concerned about finishing the work His Father had sent Him to do. John 4:33-34 says, “Therefore the disciples said to one another, ‘Has anyone brought Him anything to eat?’ Jesus said to them, ‘My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me, and to finish His work.’”

Paul knew that bonds and afflictions awaited him, yet he said, “But none of these things move me; nor do I count my life dear to myself, so that I may finish my race with joy, and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God” (Acts 20:24).

In terms of projects we start, there is rarely any danger to our lives like Jesus, Paul or even many in the persecuted Curch face today. The only danger, really, is to our “self.” Our emotions will help us to start a new project because it’s exciting. But our emotions won’t carry us through to the end when the work gets hard and the resistance comes. That’s when we need discipline and endurance and focus.

We’re often tempted to give up, even when there is a tremendous financial blessing on the other end. The enemy likes to stop things that are new and he likes to keep us from finishing. He’ll let us wander around in the middle for a while, making some progress, but he doesn’t want us to finish because he understands the result of finishing: increase.

Finishing unlocks a blessing. Paul endured. He told Timothy to endure. “You therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. And the things that you have heard from me among many witnesses, commit these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also. You therefore must endure hardship as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. No one engaged in warfare entangles himself with the affairs of this life, that he may please him who enlisted him as a soldier” (2 Tim. 1-4).

Jesus blessed us when He finished the work on the cross. He also got blessed. In fact, He expected a blessing. John 17:4-5 says, “I have glorified You on the earth. I have finished the work which You have given Me to do. And now, O Father, glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory which I had with You before the world was.”

We can expect a blessing, too—when we finish the work. When God finished creating the heavens and earth, he blessed the seventh day as a day of rest (Genesis 2:2-3). When we finish a task, we enter into a certain contentment and rest.

Paul told Timothy that he fought a good fight, finished his course and kept the faith—and we know he received his reward: “Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing” (2 Timothy 2:8).

What about you? As this year comes to an end, why not take an inventory of those things large and small that you need to finish. You may have several projects at various stages of progress. You can’t tap into the increase until you finish. My prayer is that God will give you the grace to press in and use the key of finishing to unlock the blessings that await you.

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

@ or visit her website here.

Don’t look back—unless you need to deal with demons from your past that continue to pull you out of God’s will and into sin.

Some of us have dramatic testimonies of how God delivered us from dark places into which even your typical sinner doesn’t venture. But if we aren’t truly free from the demonic influences that held us in bondage, we could fall back into the snare of the enemy once again. We are forgiven from our past sins, but sometimes we must deal with our past demons.

I’m a big advocate of not looking back. Unless I’m sharing my testimony to help another, I don’t talk much about the past. After all, I’m a new creature in Christ. The old Jennifer has passed away. I was crucified with Christ and I am no longer living for myself. I am letting Christ live His life through me. My position in Christ is clearly spelled out in the Word of God, but that doesn’t mean when I got saved I was immediately delivered from demons of the past that plagued my soul. I’m not talking about character flaws or immaturity. I’m talking about demonic strongholds like drug use that, left unchecked, would have ultimately destroyed me.

If we don’t deal with the demons from our past, the devil will come at a more opportune time and try to steal, kill and destroy us. I’m not suggesting here that a relatively stable and growing Christian embark on a guided expedition in their soul to dig up something that’s not really there and magnify it, or visit a deliverance minister just in case there’s a demon that needs to be cast out. Doing those things can cause problems that didn’t exist. Indeed, many issues are just our emotions raging and we need to learn to submit our feelings to the Word and renew our mind.

Demons from the past are often recognizable as persistent issues that hold you back from God’s best. When you encounter one, it’s like hitting a wall that you can’t leap over, get around, dig under or break through. It’s a bondage. Often, deliverance ministry is required. But even then, you have to do your part.

I believe the Holy Spirit is faithful to bring to our attention the issues that we need to deal with, if we don’t already see them. He may do that one-on-one or use a trusted person in your life to point out a problem in love. When we can see a demonic stronghold, whether subtly in our thoughts or fully manifest through our actions, we need to get help. If we are well aware that demons from our past are leading us into dangerous temptations, and especially if we are falling into the trap, we need to get help. We need to deal with the demons of our past.

You’ve probably heard the phrase “his past came back to haunt him” or talk of a “ghost from the past.” I’m not talking here about past sins people committed, renounced and repented of. That’s under the blood. I’m talking about deep emotional wounds that were buried alive and didn’t make it to the cross. Often times, a demon will attach itself to those old wounds and manifest through issues like fear, addiction, anger or depression. There could also be generational curses at work. What happened in our past isn’t always our fault. Others can inflict deep wounds on us without any causative action on our part. Perhaps we were not equipped to deal with the fallout, so we built up protective walls or destructive habits that sabotage our relationships, our jobs, our homes and our very lives.

You’ve no doubt read the news headlines of prominent ministers whose “past came back” to haunt them. Some were sexually molested as children and later fell into homosexual affairs as adults. Others were addicted to drugs and alcohol and the pressure of ministry caused them to return to those spirits for comfort and escape, only to sober up to spirits guilt and condemnation. 

But let’s drill down beyond the headlines into the everyday lives of believers. Let’s bring this home. Dealing with demons from the past doesn’t always mean dealing with sexual immorality or drug abuse. Demons from the past can simply mean resolving unforgiveness toward someone that hurt you, or seeking forgiveness from one you’ve hurt so you can rid yourself of the guilt that torments your mind.

So how do you deal with demons from your past? Acknowledge that there is a problem. Confront it courageously. Stop running from it. Don’t deny it’s there. Don’t try to build your walls higher. Take off the mask you’ve been using to disguise the pain you are going through. That requires humility, but humility opens the door to God’s grace. Get some help from trusted Christians in your life that are equipped to help you find the deliverance and healing you need in Christ. Don’t worry about what other people are going to think if they know the truth. If they are discerning people, they probably already know you are struggling. Where you find yourself may not be your fault, but getting free requires you to take responsibility for your choices now.

The same old emotions may continue to come even after you deal with the demons of your past. But when Jesus sets you free by the power of the Holy Ghost, you are free indeed. Once you confront the demons from your past, you will gain a new perspective. When those old emotions, those old thoughts and temptations, come rolling back around, you will be able to recognize what is happening and respond rather than reacting to the demon’s taunt. As you continue to do this, you will build your spiritual muscles and eventually the demon will give up and go bother someone else. God will meet you at the point of your decision and help you overcome the demons of your past. Victory belongs to you. Decide to walk in it.

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

@ or visit her website here.

Christian ministries supporting God’s chosen nation in hour of need 

When God told Abraham, “I will bless those who bless you, and I will curse him who curses you; and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed” (Gen. 12:3), He meant it. History is rich with examples of God’s blessing on nations that support Israel and judgment on nations that do not. 

Although all Christians are called to support Israel—after all, salvation is of the Jews (John 4:22)—some ministries have answered a special call to stand with Israel. Though they may take different approaches—some have launched prayer networks, others have set up headquarters in Jerusalem to help Jews there and still others lobby Congress—they have risen up to obey Scripture.

Ministry to Israel encourages Christians to get involved in what God is doing in Israel today. The 23-year-old U.S. ministry has established a prayer network, as well as a Jerusalem Support Center that works with new immigrants there to provide food, clothing and medical assistance.

“It is obvious prophecy related to Israel is being fulfilled before our very eyes and that God wants the church to know it,” says director Michael Utterback. “He not only wants them to be aware but involved in what He is doing with Israel in these days.”

Bridges for Peace is showing its support for Israel in Bethlehem’s backyard. Established in 1976, the Jerusalem-based, Bible-believing Christian organization works to build relationships between Christians and Jews through education and practical deeds expressing God’s love and mercy. 

The group is behind programs such as Project Rescue and Project Hope that aim to help the poorest Jews prepare to immigrate to Israel, and to help the elderly and sick who cannot travel.

“For too long Christians have been silent. For too long the Jewish community has had to fight its battles alone,” says Rebecca Brimmer, president and CEO of Bridges for Peace. “It is time Christian individuals and congregations speak up for the people who gave us the Bible.”

Founded by John Hagee in 2006, Christians United for Israel (CUFI) is a national association that brings together pro-Israel churches, parachurch organizations, ministries and people in America to support Israel in matters related to biblical issues. CUFI members head to Washington every summer to lobby Congress. In 2011, more than 5,000 of the group’s 725,000 members convened in the capital.

“The halls of the Congressional office buildings were crowded with CUFI activists waiting to meet with their elected leaders,” says David Brog, CUFI’s executive director. “I am extremely pleased both with the reception we received and the impact we are clearly having on the relationship.” 

The solution for U.S. money woes isn’t ‘prosperity gospel,’ charismatics say

When Standard & Poor’s downgraded the United States’ credit rating, it sent the Dow Jones Industrial Average into a tailspin. That, combined with America’s more than $14.5 trillion national debt and Europe’s growing financial woes, have caused charismatic Christian leaders to stand up and speak out—and they aren’t preaching a “prosperity gospel” message.

Indeed, international evangelist Perry Stone says Americans better get used to major changes in the country and prepare accordingly. That, he says, is because the America we have known is changing. “We were promised in the 2008 election that America would fundamentally change,” Stone says. “America is changing, although I am not convinced this is the fundamental change most people had in mind.”

If the change isn’t working for you, Stone suggests praying according to 2 Chr. 7:14: “If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear … and will forgive their sin and heal their land.”

As R. Loren Sanford sees it, America’s current situation requires a change of strategy on the part of Christians from coast to coast. Echoing the sentiment of Stone, he says the America many of us grew up with and came to love is gone forever. Some months ago, Sanford, founder and senior pastor of New Song Fellowship in Denver, prophesied that a serious third-year crisis at the presidential level would profoundly impact the nations for years to come. 

With this prophecy being fulfilled before our eyes, the question is: How bad will it get? “I’ve been on record saying that it won’t be as bad as many are saying, but it will certainly be bad enough,” Sanford says. “For us who have prepared ourselves and our churches effectively, it will be the moment of glory as God increases His acts of mercy, His demonstrations of power and His love through us who will step forward boldly and with passion.”

For a number of years trusted prophetic voices have warned Christians to get out of debt. Now as the frailty of our entire economic system has been exposed, this warning packs fresh urgency, according to David Shibley, founding president of Global Advance, a ministry that equips tens of thousands of church and business leaders in the world’s neediest areas every year. Shibley offers some biblical advice for believers in any nation.

“In this fragile financial climate, some tend to hoard and stop giving. While this may seem to be a smart course in tight times, it is actually the worst possible strategy for protecting assets,” Shibley says. “God has woven the principle of sowing and reaping into the very fabric of the universe. The planting of seed is categorically required to bring life and growth. God has hard-wired this planet and people so that failure to plant seed ensures barrenness and eventual death.”

Technology is the key to growth for Vision 2020’s global-discipleship project

Call it the Jesus movie of discipleship. It’s a new, technology-driven movement to raise up a generation of lively stones in spiritually dead places—believers who are willing to walk away from false religions and idols to follow Christ.

The man behind the movement is Berin Gilfillan. When he launched the International School of Ministry (ISOM) 20 years ago, Gilfillan set out to train laborers for the end-time harvest by planting his video curriculum in local churches around the world. Today there are more than 15,000 training sites in 142 nations airing the materials in 70 languages. But he’s still not satisfied.

With its new Vision 2020 plan, ISOM is using digital technology to spread an even wider net for its video-training program. It aims to bring Christian training materials to at least 20,000 new locations among the poor and unreached by 2020. 

The plan relies on the use of modern technologies such as solar-powered projectors, portable speakers and miniature computer chips to help preach the gospel to every nation, tribe, tongue and people according to Rev. 14:6.

“God didn’t give us these technologies for the sake of Hugh Hefner and Ted Turner. It’s for the sake of the gospel,” Gilfillan says. “In Daniel 11, the Bible talks about people who go to and fro and the increase of knowledge. Technology has to be tapped for kingdom purposes.”

ISOM plans to propagate four programs through Vision 2020. The core ISOM program offers more than 160 hours of video teaching. Instructors include Jack Hayford, Joyce Meyer, John Bevere, Reinhard Bonnke, Marilyn Hickey, T.L. Osborn and many other charismatic Christian leaders who Gilfillan invited to “share the most important message God is giving you for the global church.”

ISOM has also developed Women of the World, a program to empower, encourage and equip God’s daughters; CD BOKS, curriculum to help lift communities out of poverty; and YouthBytes, a resource that gives youth ministers tools to engage the faith of teens and young adults. The Vision 2020 plan challenges believers to sow $20 a month for 20 months to fund the mission.

“We want to turn every church in the world into a ministry-training center so local churches can train leaders, women, youth and all people,” Gilfillan says. 

“About 2 billion people live in remote locations. Many of them are illiterate. Many of them are under deep darkness in terms of the spiritual climate—and they are hungry for equipping. We have a global infrastructure in place and 240 hours of content a facilitator can take from village to village.”

Gilfillan cites translation as the biggest challenge to fulfilling the vision, saying the spiritual opposition to it occurs because after curriculum is translated into any given language, thousands of new believers can be equipped. Gilfillan says translators sometimes fail to realize the level of demonic attacks that come against the ministry. Three ISOM translators have been murdered. And when Gilfillan first launched ISOM, his daughter had a croup attack and nearly died.

“My wife prayed and asked God what was going on. She had an open vision of the back of a man’s head,” Gilfillan recalls. “The face turned slowly and she looked right into the eyes of Lenin. The Lord spoke, ‘The same powers that kept the former Soviet Union without the Word of God for 70 years now know what you are doing.’ Back in those days we didn’t have a clue what we were up against.”

Today, Gilfillan is ready for battle. And he is convinced that the greatest key to the hearts and nations of the world is preaching the gospel in the hearer’s birth language. He notes that in the second chapter of Acts, Peter opened the hearts of his listeners not with signs and miracles, but with the gospel message preached in their mother tongues.

“If you can get the gospel into a person’s dialect, you’ve won that people group. It’s not just about Bibles. It’s about having the Word taught by full gospel, Spirit-filled teachers,” Gilfillan says. “We have the technology. If we move quickly, we can sweep the nations. My greatest fear is that we won’t move quickly enough.”