Understanding The 5 Offices and the 9 Gifts Of The Spirit

Alexandra Mendez1 Comment

It’s funny how productive you get during consecration. This study was birthed during my first consecration in 2026.

Let’s consider the spiritual gifts presented by the Apostle Paul in Romans 12:6-8 as well as the offices in Ephesians 4:11, known as the 5-fold ministry. The gifts listed are prophet, servant, teacher, exhorter, giver, those entrusted with leadership (like a deacon or pastor), and those gifted in mercy. The five offices are Apostle, Prophet, Evangelist, Pastor, and Teacher. While three gifts and offices bear the same name, one is not the other. One can be prophetic (like a pastor or intercessor) but not be called to the office of a prophet. The gift is not the same as the calling.

The apostle is the sent one on a mission to lay the foundation and establish church bodies. Back in biblical days, an apostle would form home churches; today, they lay brick and mortar while training leadership. An apostle should move in miracles, signs, and wonders, something that many modern-day self-appointed apostles sorely lack. (I find it interesting that so many evangelists traveling the world move in miracles, signs, and wonders during their crusades.) However, more than that, the apostle builds, assigns, and keeps in constant contact with every church planted:

Acts 6:1-7

Acts 14:21-23

Acts 15:36

2 Cor 13:1-2

1 Tim 3:1-15

Titus 1:5-9

Today there are indeed those that are called into the office of Apostle and have earned that title. However, I would ask those who have yet to bear fruit but love the title to read how the Apostle Paul himself describes an apostle (1 Cor 4:9-13.)

Evangelists and pastors understand grace. The evangelist John Ramirez always includes in his testimony that as a warlock, he was hired to end the life of a christian woman through witchcraft. Completely demonized at that period in his life, he hatred christians so much that he offered to carry out the hit for free. Time passed, and the woman wasn’t affected. The devil told him to abort the mission: her God wouldn’t allow him to hurt her, despite the fact that she was in adultery. Now, whenever John brings up this particular case, he speaks on God’s grace over her life despite her sin. Evangelists understand 1 Peter 4:8. 

The evangelist and the pastor are gifted in mercy. Intercessors, the backbone of the  church, are also gifted in mercy. You have to have a heart for people and see past their shortcomings in order to intercede for them.

I was having difficulty breaking down the office of the teacher, so the Holy Spirit took me to Nehemiah 8:7-8. In these verses, the Levites taught the law and made it easy to understand. While I have been gifted in teaching and love to teach, it is not my office. The office of the teacher is just as important as the Apostle, Prophet, Pastor, or Evangelist. The following verses confirm this:

James 3:1

1 Tim 5:17

2 Tim 2:2

The last thing a teacher worth his weight wants to do is lead the church astray. They are the quiet heroes who spend their time studying and meditating on Scripture in an effort to fully understand the heart of God, though we see through a glass darkly (1 Corinthians 13:12). Teachers respect the Lord and His revelations.

It is said that the prophet is the mouthpiece of God. Prophets aren’t moved by emotion and aren’t gifted in grace like the evangelist and pastor. If a prophet were moved by tears or worried about making leadership upset, then there would never be a necessary word of correction given. It’s been my observation that the only way a prophet can pastor a church (besides the obvious call to ministry) is that they must be gifted in mercy.

Exhorters are a breath of fresh air in the body of Christ. They can lift you up with a verse, a smile, a positive word. I remember at a church service, the Holy Spirit moved, and the pastor made a call to the altar for those who wanted to receive a special blessing. I didn’t feel the need to go to the altar. An exhorter came up to me and said, “What are you waiting for? Go get your blessing!” I ran to the altar. God bless the exhorters.

The pastor at my first church, where I grew in my faith and learned to walk in my calling, was also gifted in teaching. He had been a school teacher before entering ministry full time. He was also the first person to call me a prophet when I had no idea they still existed. It was very important to this pastor gifted in teaching that every member of his church know what their gifts were and to walk in their calling. While every pastor teaches, the teacher is not entrusted by God to shepherd His flock. They are very different offices.

It’s also important to understand the personality of each office. Because this was a small church, the pastor depended on all of us to help out in different ministries. He asked me to join the group of consolidation, people who essentially sought out visitors and new members and give them phone calls during the week to get to know their needs and offer a listening ear. As hard as I tried, I just couldn’t commit to this. It was like trying to fit a square peg into a round hole. Those positions are best suited for the servant, the one gifted in mercy or the evangelist, not necessarily a prophet.

To the pastor: it’s also very important to pray for discernment so as not to confuse one gift or calling with another. How many  intercessors have been handed the mantle of the prophet? While every prophet is an intercessor, not every intercessor is a prophet. That mantle on the wrong shoulders can be heavy as lead. Please put it in prayer before assigning a post to a member of your church. I could see how easy it is to confuse the servant with the giver: both seek to serve in any capacity needed. They have beautiful hearts. But the servant will dutifully clean the church on a weekly basis without fail, while the giver can be counted on for any emergency. 

Each person is a vital part that makes up the entire body. One is not superior to the other (Romans 12:3-5). While not everyone is called to be a part of the five fold ministry, everyone has a gift meant to edify the church. Pray and ask the Father to reveal your gifts and calling. Stir the gifts deposited in you (2 Timothy 1:6). A healthy body needs all its members to function as they were meant to. I pray this blesses you.

Despair

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What is despair? According to Scripture, despair takes on many forms.

It is a spirit (Isaiah 61:3).

It is a pit (Psalm 40:2)

It is a thief (Job 15:22)

It is a liar (Psalm 42:5)

It is a burden (2 Corinthians 1:8)

It is a crushing weight (Psalm 38:8)

It wrestles with your spirit (Psalm 13:2)

It ruins your appetite (Psalm 107:18)

Despair at its root is a loss of hope. And hope deferred makes the heart sick (Proverbs 13:12). I began this post with a popular biblical verse that speaks of God’s promise to replace the spirit of heaviness with the garment of praise. No word in Scripture has been placed there haphazardly; there is a meaning behind every phrase if you pay close attention. Why would the Lord refer to a garment of praise? Because the Israelites were familiar with sackcloth, the garment used to represent sorrow:

Genesis 37:34

1 Kings 21:27

Jonah 3:5-9

Daniel 9:3

Verses in the book of Ezra also come to mind, which depicts a scene of absolute despair (9:3-5).

From as far back as my teen years, I had battled with depression. In my twenties, I would joke that I had “walking depression” like one would have walking pneumonia. I  was one of many “functioning depressives” that walked around with a beating heart but a broken spirit. I am all too familiar with despair.

I look back at those years and can now smile because I know better. As a sister in Christ would always tell me, thank God for God. In John 14:16, Jesus promises His followers that upon His death and resurrection, the Father would send the Holy Spirit (Paraclete in the original Greek) as a comforter, advocate and  intercessor. So you see, while the enemy with his slick lies and smoke and mirrors tries to convince you that all hope is lost, the Truth is far from it. God promised never to leave you nor forsake you (Deutoronomy 13:8, Hebrews 13:5-6). The Lord asks that you cast your cares upon Him, for He cares for you (1 Peter 5:7). He promises a garland of beauty to replace the ashes you threw on your head in your despair (Isaiah 61:3).

Life and death are in the power of the tongue (Proverbs 18:21). Speak life over yourself, despite how you’re feeling. Be careful not to fall into that feeling of despair: feelings come from the heart, which is deceitful (Jeremiah 17:9). Remember, we walk by faith and not by sight (2 Corinthians 5:7). Believe in God’s plan for your life (Jeremiah 29:11), which was set since before you were born (Psalm 139:16-18). The Lord Jesus Christ came to give you life and to give it to you abundantly (John 10:10). Lastly, I leave you with my favorite bible verse, which always gives me comfort: “These things I have spoken unto you, that in Me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.” Thank You, Lord!

I pray this blesses you.

MONITORING SPIRITS

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When they say to you, “Consult the mediums and the spiritists who whisper and mutter,” should not a people consult their God? Should they consult the dead on behalf of the living?-Isaiah 8:19

The KJV refers to monitoring spirits as “peeping and muttering” spirits. I personally call them spying spirits. As someone who comes from a long line of Jezebelan witches I’m all too familiar with these mascots that witches use to keep tabs on others. One of the ways that a witch will have access to you in the privacy of your home is through objects they gift you. Be very careful not only whom you allow into your sanctuary but what gifts you accept and place into your home. A witch will place spying spirits into those objects so that those demons can run to her and tell her your every move. Why would she need to know what it is you’re doing? Because a Jezebel and/or witch has a pathological need for control. I write extensively about Jezebel here.

I can give you at least two examples. A sister in Christ who was used by the Lord as an evangelist caught the eye of her Jezebel pastor and filled her with jealous rage. We were discussing how she discerned that something was off about her pastor and how controlling she was when I saw in the spirit that the pastor visited her at the foot of her bed late at night. Because of this harassment I assumed the pastor was a man; imagine my surprise when this sister clarified that it was a woman. I understood that for this minister to have the ability to astral project into her home she was a high level witch who had made a connection in the spirit with this sister, meaning there was something this witch had in her possession or there was something she gave to this sister that had demons attached to it. She confirmed that she did indeed have a few gifts that she discarded immediately, and that during a church service the pastor did a foot washing service using salt and then fed the congregation, probably keeping the plastic utensils with this young girl’s saliva. That was enough to bind the girl to this witch. We prayed for that spirit tie to be broken and the girl left that church immediately. Another example is of my own relationships with my grandmother and mother. When my grandfather passed my grandmother insisted on creating his body, which came as a surprise to the whole family. She then divided his ashes into small vials and insisted that everyone keep one in their home. I felt very strongly that I shouldn’t keep it and returned it to my grandmother’s home almost immediately. A few years later, after her passing the Holy Spirit revealed to me that my grandmother would add my poor grandfather’s ashes to our meals whenever her children or grandchildren went to visit: sick, I know. But like I said, witches need to control everyone and everything around them. My mother would give me gifts for my home and one afternoon as I anointed and prayed over my older son the Holy Spirit had me throw out everything she had given me: these objects had monitoring spirits attached to them. And believe me, she noticed.

I developed this warfare prayer after these horrifying revelations about my own family. Nothing, I repeat nothing is more powerful than the blood of Christ. If you have any suspicion that you have monitoring spirits keeping tabs on you, it is vital that you not only pray against them but anoint your home. Be sensitive to the Holy Spirit and quickly discard any item as directed. Anoint and pray over your home on a regular basis. I pray this blesses you.

Warfare Prayer:

Heavenly Father, I come to You humbly and beseech You, open my spiritual eyes to any tricks of the enemy. Reveal to me any monitoring spirits that have invaded the privacy of my home and seek to defile my sanctuary. Right now I blind them with hot pokers covered in the Blood, I slice out their tongues with the sword of the Spirit and pour hot wax dipped in the Blood into their ears. In the name of Jesus I cage these now deaf, dumb and blinded spying spirits and send them back to their master/mistress. May this witch/warlock know that I serve the Living God, YHWH and may she repent and be saved. Holy Spirit, guide me as as I anoint and pray over every inch of my living space. Reveal to me any and every point of contact and demonic item that must be removed from this sanctuary immediately. Keep my home spiritually clean and free from monitoring spirits. Right now I order every demonic entity and spirit to leave my home in Jesus name. Holy Spirit take Your rightful place in this home. Assign guardian angels to my front door and in my home. Keep me safe from every demonic attack, assignment and attachment. In Jesus precious name I pray and seal this petition with His precious blood. Amen.

TURN THE ENEMY AGAINST ITSELF

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I was so excited when I received this revelation! As always, the Holy Spirit will bring a verse to mind, and as I read it I will remember another passage with similar circumstances and search the Scriptures for this new found theme. In many cases they are woven together in a common thread. Only through diligent study will “the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, give us a spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him.” (Ephesians 1:17) Each passage has a hidden gem, a strategy for victory. Let us unlock each one using their newly discovered spiritual keys. Passages taken from the NASB.

“Behold, I am going to send an angel before you to guard you along the way and to bring you into a place which I have prepared. For My angel will go before you and drive out [the enemy armies] and I will completely destroy them. Be on your guard before him and obey his voice; do not be rebellious toward him, for he will not pardon your transgression, since My name is in him. But if you truly obey his voice and do all that I say, then I will be an enemy to your enemies and an adversary to your adversaries…I will send my terror ahead of you and throw into confusion all the people among whom you come, and I will make all your enemies turn their backs to you. I will send hornets ahead of you so they will drive out [the enemy armies] before you.” (Exodus 23:20-23, 27- 28)

The key to victory in this passage is obedience. It may seem simple enough, but it is a daily battle with our flesh to submit to the perfect will of Christ. Keep your body under submission (1 Corinthians 9:27) by living a life of fasting, prayer and meditating on the Word. Just look at the Lord’s reward for our obedience!

Then the men of Gibeon sent word to Joshua to the camp at Gilgal, saying, “Do not abandon your servants; come up to us quickly and save us and help us, for all the kings of the Amorites that live in the hill country have assembled against us.” So Joshua went up from Gilgal, he and all the people of war with him and all the valiant warriors. The Lord said to Joshua, “Do not fear them, for I have given them into your hands; not one of them shall stand before you.” So Joshua came upon them suddenly by marching all night from Gilgal. And the Lord confounded them before Israel, and He slew them with a great slaughter at Gibeon, and pursued them by the way of the ascent of Beth-horon and struck them as far as Azekah and Makkedah. As they fled from before Israel, while they were at the descent of Beth-horon, the Lord threw large stones on them as far as Azekah, and they died; there were more who died from the hailstones than those whom the sons of Israel killed with the sword. (Joshua 10:6-11)

The key to victory in this passage is mercy and loyalty to others. Long before Jesus taught us to love your neighbor as yourself (Mark 12:31), Joshua understood the importance of this principle.

The Lord said to Gideon, “The people who are with you are too many for Me to give Midian into their hands, for Israel would become boastful, saying, ‘My own power has delivered me’… The Lord said to Gideon, “I will deliver you with the 300 men who lapped [water like a dog, which was the sign from YHVH to Gideon of whom He wanted in the army] and will give the Midianites into your hands; so let all the other people go, each man to his home…Now the same night it came about that the Lord said to him, “Arise, go down against the camp, for I have given it into your hands. But if you are afraid to go down, go with Purah your servant down to the camp, and you will hear what they say; and afterwards your hands will be strengthened that you may go down against the camp.”…So Gideon and the hundred men who were with him came to the outskirts of the camp at the beginning of the middle watch, when they had just posted the watch; and they blew the trumpets and smashed the pitchers that were in their hands. When the three companies blew the trumpets and broke the pitchers, they held the torches in their left hands and the trumpets in their right hands for blowing, and cried, “A sword for the Lord and for Gideon!” Each stood in his place around the camp; and all the army ran, crying out as they fled. When they blew 300 trumpets, the Lord set the sword of one against another even throughout the whole army; and the army fled…(Judges 7:6, 7, 9-11a, 19-22)

The key to victory in this passage is simply God’s desire to glorify Himself. It is too easy for man to trust in his own strength (Proverbs 3:5, Psalm 20:7, Jeremiah 17:5) and forget who really fights our battles (Exodus 14:14, 2 Chronicles 20:17, Isaiah 41:10).

Now no blacksmith could be found in all the land of Israel, for the Philistines said, “Otherwise the Hebrews will make swords or spears.”…So it came about on the day of battle that neither sword nor spear was found in the hands of any of the people who were with Saul and Jonathan, but they were found with Saul and his son Jonathan…Then Jonathan said to the young man who was carrying his armor, “Come and let us cross over to the garrison of these uncircumcised; perhaps the Lord will work for us, for the Lord is not restrained to save by many or by few.”…And there was a trembling in the camp, in the field, and among all the people. Even the garrison and the raiders trembled, and the earth quaked so that it became a great trembling. Now Saul’s watchmen in Gibeah of Benjamin looked, and behold, the multitude melted away; and they went here and there…Then Saul said to Ahijah, “Bring the ark of God here.” For the ark of God was at that time with the sons of Israel…Then Saul and all the people who were with him rallied and came to the battle; and behold, every man’s sword was against his fellow, and there was very great confusion. Now the Hebrews who were with the Philistines previously, who went up with them all around the camp, even they also turned to be with the Israelites who were with Saul and Jonathan. (1 Samuel 13:19, 22; 14:6, 15, 16, 18, 20, 21)

The key to the victory this passage is unwavering faith (in your Deliverer) despite the circumstances. The Israelites were outnumbered and outgunned, yet Jonathan believed YHVH would give them the victory. Remember, you and Christ are a majority. Saul called for the Ark: remain in the Lord’s presence. Worship, get up an hour early, seek His face, study the Word. And did you notice the last verse? When a man’s ways are pleasing to the Lord, He makes even his enemies be at peace with him (Proverbs 16:7). Are your ways pleasing to God?

For the Lord had caused the army of the Arameans to hear the sound of chariots and a sound of horses, even the sound of a great army, so that they said to one another, “Behold, the king of Israel has hired against us the kings of the Hittites and the kings of the Egyptians, to come upon us.” Therefore they arose and fled in the twilight, and their donkeys, even the camp just as it was, and fled for their life. When these lepers came to the outskirts of the camp, they entered one tent and ate and drank [remember, there was a famine in the land], and carried from there silver and gold and clothes, and went and hid them; and they returned and entered another tent and carried from there also, and went and hid them.

Then they said to one another, “We are not doing right. This day is a day of good news, but we are keeping silent; if we wait until morning light, punishment will overtake us. Now therefore come, let us go and tell the king’s household.”…So the people went out and plundered the camp of the Arameans. (2 Kings 7:6-10a, 16)

The key to victory in this passage is not so much the victory itself but who was brave and desperate enough to seek a morsel of food in the enemy’s camp during a famine. They were lepers; the unclean, the unwanted, the outcasts. We have all felt that way at some point in our lives. These lepers could have kept the food and goods for themselves. After all, who would listen to them? Who wants to hear about God’s love from a former prostitute, a recovering addict, a convicted felon? Or from a christian struggling with sexual sin, or who cannot control his temper, or who wages a silent war against her child’s rebellion? There is a famine in the land; the world needs to hear your testimony and watch you battle those demons. Bring the lost to the foot of the cross. They need Christ just as much as you.

[And YHVH spoke through the prophet] “You need not fight in this battle; station yourselves, stand and see the salvation of the Lord on your behalf, O Judah and Jerusalem. Do not fear or be dismayed; tomorrow go out to face them, for the Lord is with you.” Jehoshaphat bowed his head with his face to the ground, and all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem fell down before the Lord, worshipping the Lord. The Levites, from the sons of the Kohathites and the sons of the Korahites, stood up to praise the Lord God of Israel, with a very loud voice…When he had consulted with the people, he appointed those who sang to the Lord and those who praised Him in holy attire, as they went out before the army and said, “Give thanks to the Lord, for His loving kindness is everlasting.”

When they began singing and praising, the Lord set ambushes against the sons of Ammon, Moab and Mount Seir, who had come against Judah; so they were routed. For the sons of Ammon and Moab rose up against the inhabitants of Mount Seir destroying them completely; and when they had finished with the inhabitants of Seir, they helped to destroy one another. When Judah came to the outlook of the wilderness, they looked toward the multitude, and behold, they were corpses lying on the ground, and no one had escaped. When Jehoshaphat and his people came to take their spoil, they found much among them including goods, garments and valuable things which they took for themselves, more than they could carry. And they were three days taking the spoil because there was so much. (2 Chronicles 20:17, 18, 21-25)

The key to victory in this passage is praise and worship. The king led his army with praises to their Deliverer in full confidence and gratitude. The battle was won before it was even fought. Your worship is a powerful weapon of warfare; these verses teach us that praise and worship confound the enemy. Be proactive in your faith. Brandish your weapon of worship and watch the enemy flee before you seven ways (Deuteronomy 28:7).

But when the Pharisees heard this, they said, “This man casts out demons only by Beelzebul the ruler of demons.” And knowing their thoughts Jesus said to them, “A kingdom divided against itself is laid waste; and any city or house divided against itself will not stand. If Satan casts out Satan, he is divided against himself; how then will his kingdom stand? If I by Beelzebul cast out demons, by whom do your sons cast them out? For this reason they will be your judges. But if I cast out demons by the spirit of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you. Or how can anyone enter the strong man’s house and carry off his property, unless he first binds the strong man? And then he will plunder his house.” (Matthew 12:24-29)

The key to victory in this passage is unity. It breaks my heart to see how far we have strayed from the original church-the church in the book of Acts. They were with one accord (Acts 1:14); can today’s church say the same? All these denominations looking down on one another, thinking they have got it right and everyone else is wrong. Truly a shame. Christ Himself set the Pharisees straight: if you say I’m demonized, then you’re saying the exact same thing about your children (denomination). For we all serve the same Elohim. Many bible scholars believe blaspheming the Holy Ghost (Mark 3:29) is doing just that: accusing the brethren who minister in the spiritual gifts and cast out demons of being demonized themselves. Be careful! He imparts the same gifts equally to His church; it is up to us to band together and use them for the glory of Jesus Christ.

Note how several of these passages end: the Israelites plunder the enemy’s camp. The spoils of war are set aside for you! It is the reward for your obedience, mercy, loyalty, faith, courage and perseverance. I pray this blesses you.

CHRIST: MESSIAH, KING AND BONDSERVANT

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Who is the Suffering Servant in Isaiah 53?
First and foremost, let us examine the very word, servant. It is translated into English as slave, but its proper context is indentured servant. Remember, every seven years the indentured servant is to be released from bondage, since by Mosaic law his debt has been cancelled (Exodus 21:2, Jeremiah 34:14). Not only is the slave to be freed, but the master must provide goods to help him along, as specified in Deuteronomy 15:12-15. This has been adopted by many cultures throughout world history, is still used among Chinese immigrants and is even the basis for credit/debt in the U.S.

In certain instances, the servant will choose to serve indefinitely. It may be difficult to understand from our western perspective, but it was quite common in ancient Israel. It is very clearly explained in Exodus 21:2-5; if while in service the slave marries and has a family, he must leave them behind. However, if he chooses to stay with his wife and children, then he must serve his master for the remainder of his life. If that is the case, then the slave and the master perform a ritual as described in Exodus 21:6 and repeated in Deuteronomy 15:17. The master pierces the ear of the slave and presses the awl into a door, thereby symbolically attaching the slave to the home and marking him as a servant for life. In much the same way, the Suffering Servant was pierced for our transgressions (Isaiah 53:5) and pressed not onto a door but to a stake (1 Peter 2:24). We ourselves become bondservants to Christ (Galatians 1:10) and live out our own Exodus (deliverance) 21:6 under our divine Door (John 10:9).

Exodus 21:32 demands that the recompense for a slave’s death was 30 pieces of silver. Interestingly enough, in Hosea 3:1-2 YHVH instructs the prophet Hosea to marry an adulterous woman, as a symbol of His love for adulterous Israel, who kept returning to pagan worship. So Hosea took Gomer for a wife: the exact word used is bought, but it also infers trade, or perhaps a form of dowry. Hosea offers a payment of 15 pieces of silver and an homer and a half of barley, which bible scholars believer to equate to another 15 pieces of silver. Keep in mind, the barley infers to the redemption of an adulterous wife, as stated in Numbers 5:15. So in effect, Hosea redeems his wife with thirty pieces of silver. I don’t believe it’s coincidental that Jesus was betrayed for 30 pieces of silver (Matthew 26:15). It makes perfect sense that the Lord Jesus Christ redeemed mankind from adultery to YHVH and that His earthly death as a servant was paid for with the exact amount decreed in Mosaic law.

While not prophetic (or at least not very obviously so) I find Genesis 24 to be a foreshadow of Christ’s gift to His bride, the Church. A “bride payment” is very common in the Middle East. It is the opposite of a dowry, which is the gift from the bride to the groom. A bride payment is a gift given to the bride as proof that the groom will be able to provide for the bride. As a matter of fact, Deuteronomy 24:5 stipulates that the groom must be able to spend the first year of marriage at home with his bride, meaning he must be able to provide financially for her without needing to work for a year. The Lord Jesus Christ paid the ultimate price for His bride: His shed blood and the finished work on the cross. We wait in joyful anticipation for the Groom and His marriage supper.

Isaiah 53:7 foreshadowed Christ standing before Pontius Pilate, who offered Him a chance to defend Himself as Jesus answered not a word (Mark 15:3-5). Isaiah 53:10 may be confusing when read with the natural eye, but when read in its spiritual context it makes perfect sense and I for one am grateful for this prophecy. I’ll break down verse 10 using the HalleluYah Scriptures version. “He would see a seed” refers to the birth of Christianity. “He would prolong His days” may seem to contradict the preceding verse, but it simply refers to the Lord’s resurrection and return to eternity, where He is now seated at the right hand of the Father. And “the pleasure of YHVH prosper in His hand” means that the goal was accomplished: mankind was offered redemption through the sacrifice of Christ. The very last verse is another prophetic gem, which parallels Philippians 2:9, Luke 23 verses 34 and 43, Romans 8:34 and Hebrews 7:25.

There are verses scattered throughout the Old Testament that prophesy the birth, ministry, death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ. Isaiah 53 is but one chapter. I chose to do this bible study first and foremost because the Holy Spirit pressed it upon me, but also because I believe every Christian should study Scripture: to show myself approved to God, a believer that needs not be ashamed because she rightly dissects and interprets the Word (2 Timothy 2:15). We are to be ready at all times to defend the gospel (1 Peter 3:15), in and out of season (2 Timothy 4:2). The only way to do so is through daily prayer and study. I pray this blesses you.

FOR EXOTIC DANCERS LOOKING TO CHRIST

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“Be very careful never to make a treaty with the people who love in the land where you are going. If you do, you will follow their evil ways and be trapped. Instead, you must break down their pagan altars, smash their sacred pillars, and cut down their Asherah poles.” (Exodus 34:12-13).

In the biblical verse quoted above, YHVH gives a warning and strict instructions to the Israelites. So what exactly is an Asherah pole (referred to as a grove in some bible versions)? It was a tree or a pole where worshippers of Asherah (otherwise known as Asheroth, Astarte, Venus, Semiramis, Isis, and the Queen Of Heaven) gathered around to perform fertility rituals in the belief that these sexual encounters would appease their goddess and the land would produce crops that season. So it comes as no surprise to me that today exotic dancers are expected to pole dance in order to appease their audience and be rewarded money in exchange. There is nothing new under the sun (Ecclesiastes 1:9).

I am in no way passing judgement on the women who work in this profession. Man judges by appearance but the Lord looks at the heart (1 Samuel 16:7). They are human beings just like the rest of us. As a matter of fact, I follow the vlog of a stripper who is transitioning out of that work environment and using her hard earned money to make a better life for herself, so kudos to that young lady. [8/2/19 Edit: that vlog has since been shelved] Today, the day I published this post, is January 9, 2019. I wrote the outline for this post in October of 2018, after the Lord revealed to me in a dream that this young lady would be saved and her future ministry will be dedicated to exotic dancers looking to get out. I pray that every woman reading who is in this industry or has been in it is blessed by this post, and is ministered to by the prayer the Holy Spirit had me pen for you.

Some more biblical history on pole dancing: the Israelites are told repeatedly not only to destroy the Asherah poles already in the land but also warned not to erect any new ones themselves (Deuteronomy 7:5, 12:3, 16:21). Despite all the commands and warnings, they did indeed practice this pagan worship, at one point in the holy temple itself (Judges 3:7, 2 Kings 21:3,7). Time and time again YHVH raised up holy men of valor who fought against the debauchery, even if it meant going against their own family (Judges 6:25-27) as well as kings who fought to turn the heart of the people back to the one true God (2 Kings 23:6). Ba’al worship went hand in hand with Asherah worship, including temple prostitutes, bestiality and eating foods dedicated to these demons. I once heard a seasoned pastor and bible scholar teach that when Christ was speaking to His disciples in Matthew 16:13-20 they were in fact overlooking the ruins of an ancient grove, or Asherah pole. I believe verse 18 was spoken in a spiritual sense.

What is seen in a strip club? The lights are dimmed, patrons sit and drink alcohol as they watch the dancers perform their routines, some offering them money in exchange for a private dance. What is hidden? Drug use and prostitution. These same behaviors today mirror those of the pagans and wayward Israelites in the bible. If one were to see with spiritual eyes the atmosphere in these clubs one would find spirits of lust, alcohol, tobacco, debauchery, sexual immorality, pride, greed, amd whatever else both the patron and the dancer brings into it: spirits of rejection, self loathing, self harm (again, reminiscent of the priests of Ba’al in 1 Kings 18:26 and 28), perversion, pharmakeia (drug addiction as well as witchcraft), homosexuality and lesbianism, and only God knows what else. You can’t tell me that spiritual environment isn’t demonic and that no matter how “clean” the dancers keep themselves they are slowly sucked in. It is not a healthy place for your spirit. I understand that everyone has a reason for choosing to be there; I can only pray you make the decision to come out of there unscathed.

Warfare Prayer:
Father, I come boldly before Your throne and beg for Your forgiveness. Your Word says a beautiful woman lacking discretion is like a gold ring in a pig’s nose (Proverbs 11:22). Father I desperately desire to be a vessel of honor and no longer a vessel of dishonor (2 Timothy 2:20). I accept and understand that Your Son, the Lord Jesus Christ became flesh and died on the cross at Calvary, nailing all my sin to the cross. He rose again and is now seated at Your right hand, daily interceding for me (Romans 8:34, Hebrews 7:25) so that my eyes may be opened and I accept everlasting life. Lord, my eyes have been opened. Wash me clean with Your precious blood (see the post The Blood Has Purchasing Power), purge me, dress me in a clean robe and sanctify me. I am now a new creation in Christ; old things have passed away and all things are new (2 Corinthians 5:17-19, Revelation 21:5). Father I thank You that You are the God of second chances. Lord Jesus, thank You for covering me, restoring me and bringing my heart back to the Father (Malichi 4:6). I am not the same woman I was when I came before you. I am now blood washed, saved and sanctified. May the pact this bloodline has made with You never be broken. Thank You, Lord, that Your mercies are fresh every morning (Lamentations 3:22-23). In the precious name of Jesus Christ I pray, amen.

Congratulations and welcome to the family! Please, get yourself a bible and study His Word. I myself read the King James version and the NASB. Before you do anything else, please follow the steps outlined in Self Deliverance. Fasting does wonders for your faith, as well. Please see my posts on Fasting and Anointing Oil to get an idea on how to sanctify your home. When you get up in the morning make sure to put on the Full Armor of God. And lastly, let the Holy Spirit guide you, always. I pray this blesses you.

SEEK THE LORD WHILE HE IS YET TO BE FOUND

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The movie The Road is about as accurate a portrayal of the apocalypse as Hollywood will ever give us. What it depicts is but a small portion of what is to come. The Lord gave this young man a vision (Acts 2:17, Joel 2:28) of End Times that shook him to his core. I pray you listen and accept Christ as your Lord and Savior while you can.

Audio recording uploaded to Youtube by the ministry A Minute To Midnite and shared here with permission from the owner. Should you wish to share, please contact their ministry directly.

A PRAYER FOR THE DYING

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I find it interesting that the Holy Spirit will have me write out first a prayer for for newborns, Spoken Blessing Over Children and later one for those at the end of their life cycle. This was never a thought in my mind and is completely the Holy Spirit. The section about witches seeking out potential victims in hospitals in my post Subtle And Overt Witchcraft may be the reason why a prayer of protection as a loved one is passing is so vital.

To clarify, this is a prayer for anyone who is passing. It is simply to ensure that any possible demonic activity is nipped in the bud and your loved one can pass in peace. However, if you are well aware that a loved one is a witch or demonized, as difficult as it is to accept, then it is your responsibility to ensure those curses and spirits are not passed on to future generations. If possible, anoint the room, the sick loved one and yourself.

Prayer For The Dying:
Father I come to Your throne of mercy and grace to present (name the person passing) to You. I humbly petition on behalf of my loved one and ask for a peaceful passing. May he/she enter into Your glory.

I cover every inch of the room where (this person) is or will be with the blood of Christ and lift a wall of fire as a protective hedge. Cover over any innocent person entering and leaving this room, especially infants and children. Father, please assign guardian angels to the doors and bedside. Lord right now I bind any and all demonic activity. I sever any ties between this person and a witch standing by. If this person is herself a witch who has willingly made demonic pacts, I ask that You break them for her sake and tear apart any contracts made that directly affect her descendants. In the matchless name of Jesus of Nazareth I break any blood covenants and purge them in Holy Spirit fire. Consume them in Your flame.

My generation and all of our descendants are now free from any binding contracts made with the Prince of Darkness; they are all null and void. We have been purchased by the precious blood of my Savior Jesus Christ, by the blood that covers and purifies. May the pact this bloodline has made with You today never be broken.

I now seal any familiar spirits within the bones of (this person’s) body. Once her spirit leaves, the lifeless body will remain with all its demons. I forbid any spirits to enter a living vessel, whether it be a willing participant or an innocent bystander. I order you, demons to go to wherever the Lord Jesus Christ orders you to go. Send warring angels to deal with these spirits, Father.

I ask You, Lord, to comfort the parting loved one’s surviving family. Send ministering angels to (the passing loved one’s) bedside and to her family upon her passing. I ask the Lord Jesus Christ to intercede for her as her spirit is brought before the Judgement Seat. Nevertheless, let the Father’s will be done. In Jesus’ name I pray, amen.

THE AHAB SPIRIT

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Ahab is first mentioned in the bible as a wicked king who was more wicked than all of his predecessors (1 Kings 16:30) and did more to provoke YHVH than any other king before him (verse 33). He married the Phoenician Jezebel and immediately led Israel to worship her gods (verses 31 through 33). I’ve done a post on The Jezebel Spirit already; feel free to read more about it’s biblical history. These two spirits are intertwined.

So who is Ahab? He is the “hen pecked” husband of the domineering banshee he has for a wife. I’m sure you’ve seen these emasculated men. My own grandfather and uncle were Ahabs; my grandmother ruled our household with an iron fist. Ahab and Jezebel go against the godly order of family, and in this marriage the woman is the head. Ahab is the sulking toddler who pouts when he doesn’t get his way (1 Kings 21:1-6, 1 Kings 22:7-8). He is often seen as Jezebel’s victim but in many ways he is just as conniving and manipulative as his wife. He throws a tantrum fully aware that Mommy will give him what he wants (1 Kings 21:7-16). An Ahab will quietly complain to his Jezebelan wife about a quarrel he is having with someone and will stand by smiling as she rips into the other person, who is too taken aback from the verbal attack to even defend himself. This is a couple whose familiar spirits found each other, creating an incredibly toxic bond. Wherever Ahab and Jezebel go, expect chaos and destruction.

Ahab reports everything to Jezebel (1 Kings 19:1). Psychologists will refer to an Ahab as the son-husband of the Jezebel, a narcissist and oftentimes borderline personality. An Ahab is emotionally (and spiritually) a child who needs his mommy. Of course, this is completely unnatural and demonic in spirit, so an Ahab will suffer through bouts of depression and have an inferiority complex, since he’s completely emasculated. It isn’t the least bit surprising that these men become addicted to pornography and/or become serial adulterers. They are desperately trying to recover their masculinity. In some cases, a boy raised and emasculated by his Jezebelan mother will unwittingly open the door to spirits of homosexuality and perversion. Many also become drug addicts and alcoholics (spirit of pharmakeia tied to witchcraft), looking to numb the pain and the shame of being on his wife’s leash. This couple teaches their children an ungodly order of marriage, practically ensuring that history repeats itself. These spirits then become generational curses that travel in the bloodline, visiting every generation.

I have to wonder if Solomon was also an Ahab, seeing how he repeatedly referred to this type of woman (Proverbs 19:13, 21:9, 21:19, 25:24, 27:15). Keep in mind King Solomon ruled almost sixty years earlier; again, Jezebel is a spirit that was named after the wicked queen, but has been around since the garden of Eden (fully explained in my post, The Jezebel Spirit). I almost feel sorry for Ahabs, if it weren’t for the fact that they are just as poisonous as their wives. These men are sneaky and can be as cold and calculating as a Jezebel; they simply hide it better. Because Jezebel is such a complex spirit who lures, then cages her prey and keeps him bound in fear through witchcraft, most Ahabs may be fully aware of their wives’ desperate need for deliverance but are simply too afraid to confront them. In turn, the wife does not respect her husband for being so weak and treats him with contempt. It’s a vicious circle.

Ahab son husbands to their mothers will bring this dynamic into their marriage. He may not have married a Jezebel but allows his Jezebelan mother to interfere in his marriage. No woman will ever be good enough for her son husband; that’s because she believes he belongs to her and he has no right to marry. These men are their mothers’ eunuchs. The poor wife will have to decide if she wants to suffer the rest of her life with this overbearing, even abusive mother in law or if she must break the marriage covenant against her will. Again, these men are completely emasculated. It takes a lot of courage and untapped strength to face the Jezebel’s rage when you put her in her place. But if you want to put your house in order, it must be done.

Please spend some time in prayer and fasting. You will be going to war with an incredibly powerful and destructive spirit. While you may seek deliverance for yourself, please pray for your wife. She needs to be delivered, as well, but it must be her choice to make. As her husband freed from the Ahab spirit and taking his rightful place in his marriage the only thing you can do for your wife is intercede for her. Lord willing, her spiritual eyes will open and she will seek deliverance. In the meantime, get delivered and retake your God given authority in your home. Anoint your home and anoint yourself before praying for deliverance. Pray daily for your wife and make daily declarations of a breakthrough in your marriage. It may not happen overnight, but remember always that you can do all things through Christ and that with God all things are possible. I pray this blesses you.

WARFARE PRAYER:
Father I come humbly before Your throne of grace and ask for Your forgiveness. I did not take my role as high priest of my home (Ephesians 5:23, 1 Timothy 2:12-13, 1 Peter 2:5, Revelation 1:6, Revelation 20:6) seriously and have allowed an unholy spirit to dwell in place of Your Holy Spirit. I fully acknowledge my part in allowing Jezebel to rule over my wife and I am truly repentant for not protecting her, thus giving the devil a foothold into our marriage. Lord we made a covenant before You and have both broken it. As the husband, I take full responsibility and dutifully cover my wife. Father have mercy over us both. Right now I take my place as the head of my marriage and my home. I cover our home with the blood of Christ and order every demonic spirit to leave!

Leviathan, I cut off your head and tail and burn them in Holy Spirit fire. I jab a spear dipped in the blood of Christ into every scale and burn your body in Holy Spirit fire. I bind Jezebel and cast her out of her ivory tower.

Now I cast out Ahab, depression, perversion, adultery, fornication, every lewd, effeminate and unclean spirit, lust, spirit wife, son husband, homosexuality, misogyny, fear, wickedness, rejection, rage, arrested development, witchcraft and pharmakeia. (Now name any other spirit that the Holy Spirit reveals to you.) From this moment forward I take my rightful place as the leader in my marriage and in my home; you are no longer welcome in either. Leave now!

Holy Spirit, I ask You to rule over my home. Father, assign guardian angels 24/7 at my door and in my home. Lord Jesus, please intercede to the Father for my wife as I will intercede for her daily, as well. Restore my marriage; You make all things new. I thank You for Your mercy and grace. May the pact this bloodline has made with You today never be broken. I seal this prayer with the precious blood of the Lamb and give thanks and praise to You. Amen.

DREAM OF YOUTH IN REVIVAL

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The Holy Spirit brought this dream to remembrance during my worship time yesterday. It’s at least ten years old, and though this wasn’t the first time I dreamt of the youth in this country, this particular dream is very encouraging.

In the dream, it looks like a church service, only it is specifically for the youth. The worship band is anointed and I can see the kids are being touched by the Holy Spirit. I had put some large baskets at the altar, inviting the youth to leave behind the world and to ask the Lord to become their Lord and Savior. Kids started streaming to the front. They dropped guns, jewelry, money, even the shirts off their backs into the baskets. I had two piles of clean shirts on a table right by the baskets: one pile was of white tees, the other was a pile of yellow tees. The young men would shield the girls who came crying to the front and removed their shirts. Some kids put on the white tees, others put on the yellow tees, yet others put on both the white and yellow shirts.

The white tee represents salvation, the Living Water. The yellow tee represents the Holy Spirit fire. I find it interesting that some would choose both. I have to believe these particular youth are called to ministry. What a wonderful vision of the future. Most of my prophetic dreams are discouraging. I thank the Lord for reminding me that no matter what, His will is done on earth as it is in heaven and He gets all the glory.

I pray this blesses you.