Unbelief (Faith)…

Behind Unbelief (Faith) is Fear (Love)…

Fear (Love)…

Behind Fear (Love) is Rejection (Acceptance)…

Rejection (Acceptance)…

Behind Rejection (Acceptance) is Pride (Humility)…

Pride (Humility)…

Behind Pride (Humility) is Control (Meekness)…

Control (Meekness)…

Behind Control (Meekness) is Rebellion (Submission)…

I’ve placed what I believe the opposites to be in (red)…

When you see Unbelief in your life I believe that that indicates that those other Strongholds of Fear, Rejection, Pride, Control & Rebellion are also present in your life…

At a deep, core level what we really have to do is to submit ourselves to God…

This is not an emotional decision…

For it is God who works in us to will and to work for His good pleasure…

This is a decision of the will…

The new heart and the new spirit which we have been given want to do this…

Same with forgiveness – the choice to forgive is not made in our emotions – it is made in our will – we just know that we need to do this and we do…

The emotions may follow but God will hold us whether they do or not…

Once He makes that decision and works that willingness in our wills for us to take up that willingness and say, “Yes, Lord – I will forgive” or “Yes, Lord – I submit myself to you – in this area or that area or every area”…

We need to act on those promptings – that’s what it means to not resist the Holy Spirit – to not grieve the Holy Spirit – not to resist His promptings but to “go with Him” in what He’s creating in us…

Don’t wait for the emotions to make those surrenders – when the willingness appears submit to it…

And run with it…

At the bottom of it all it’s all about submission – “Yes, Lord”…

That’s all He wants – He doesn’t want us to calculate whether we can achieve it – He just wants us to submit – as it’s His Life through us which He is going to live – not us “trying really hard” to achieve what we just cannot achieve – even with our new self He says to us, “Apart from Me you can do nothing”…

Still His Holy Spirit must do it in us – as the verse says – to will and to work…

We follow the promptings of the Holy Spirit in all things…

When we see an area where we “shy away” from following His instructions then we know (I believe) that that chain of Strongholds is in play…

And we need to go to the root – and the root is submission versus rebellion…

If we submit with our wills all of a sudden all the other issues suddenly melt away and we experience God’s Grace to help us – we can resist the devil and he will flee from us – I believe I have experienced this…

Sometimes to come to that place we need to confess to each other that we are “stuck”…

Only do this if God specifically puts it on your heart otherwise the enemy can use it to bring you into condemnation (or binding control) – thus confirming (strengthening) the rejection that you are already feeling…

Rebellion needs control, without control rebellion can’t function – if you want to be in rebellion you can never be free – you’ve always got to be striving to keep control – it will not let you alone – it will keep you “locked up” in prison…

One of the hardest things to do – humanly impossible without the new birth and God – is to lose control…

To submit yourself to God and have no idea what is going to happen next…

To take no thought for tomorrow…

To have a “wide open horizon” before you where all you see is blue sky and nothing in it and no indication of what might be in it…

Lose control – submit yourself to God…

Where will it take you?  Who knows…

God does but He wants to become your destination…

Not things but God – not His will but God – not knowing what He is going to do but God…

God Himself…

He showed me on Sunday after coming back from the gathering which I attended (they seem to be getting better and better) – as I was biking home – that the Baptism of Fire which I had received prayer for – is all about a focus on His Glory alone…

Literally it was a choice to focus on His Glory alone for the rest of my life…

He wanted me to know exactly what I was getting myself in for…

He made this clear – quietly speaking to me as I biked – that once I submitted to this there would be “no turning back”…

I would have no other thoughts (or focus) other than on His Glory…

Literally that was it…

As I got home and walked around in my “prayer room” He continued…

He showed me that I would literally become detached from earth – I would just be worshipping Him and have no interest in anything else – if someone was “dismembering” me I really wouldn’t feel it because I was detached – I wasn’t here anymore…

I felt it as He shared with me…

It was a very strange feeling…

It is the fulfilment of that verse…

But seek first His Kingdom and His Righteousness and all these things will be added to you as well…

He told me that this place – this place of focus on His Glory alone – is the place of Protection – I guess that means that the place of “submit yourself to God” is the place of protection – which means that the Baptism of the Holy Spirit and with Fire is the ultimate place of “submit yourselves therefore to God”…

I submitted to this – both on the bike and in my prayer room – and have been watching Him change me since…

I’m not trying…

I can still see other things at work in me but He said to release it (the Fire) – on Sunday afternoon in my prayer room – through worship – worship is the ultimate “other-centred” focus…

He is looking after me…

I am focused on Him…

I am not focused on myself…

He told me – on my bike – not to try and sort myself out or think about what’s going on with me but to focus on Him and Glorifying Him…

I feel Him enabling me to do this…

I am in transition…

It is a beautiful feeling but it began with a decision in my will that He enabled me to make – enabled me to be willing to make…

Praise His Holy Name…

I hope this is encouraging to those going through similar…

He will finish His work in us because He loves us – He delights in us – Praise His Holy Name…

Thank You Jesus, Thank You Father, Thank You Holy Spirit, Thank You Lord…

Love in the Lord,

Andrew