Breaking the Bonds of Evil , livre ebook
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English
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2006
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102
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English
Ebook
2006
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Publié par
Date de parution
01 octobre 2006
Nombre de lectures
0
EAN13
9781585586035
Langue
English
Publié par
Date de parution
01 octobre 2006
Nombre de lectures
0
EAN13
9781585586035
Langue
English
© 2006 by Rebecca Greenwood
Published by Chosen Books a division of Baker Publishing Group P.O. Box 6287, Grand Rapids, MI 49516-6287 www.chosenbooks.com
E-book edition created 2012
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means for example, electronic, photocopy, recording without the prior written permission of the publisher. The only exception is brief quotations in printed reviews.
ISBN 978-1-5855-8603-5
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is on file at the Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.
Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture is taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version. NIV. Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984 by Biblica, Inc. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com
Scripture marked AMP is taken from the Amplified® Bible, Copyright © 1954, 1958, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. www.lockman.org
Scripture marked CEV is taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991, 1992, 1995 by American Bible Society. Used by permission.
Scripture marked KJV is taken from the King James Version of the Bible.
Scripture marked M ESSAGE is taken from The Message by Eugene H. Peterson, copyright © 1993, 1994, 1995, 2000, 2001, 2002. Used by permission of NavPress Publishing Group. All right reserved.
Scripture marked NLT is taken from the Holy Bible , New Living Translation, copyright © 1996. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.
The information given in Breaking the Bonds of Evil is biblical, pastoral and spiritual in nature. It is not professional or medical counsel and should not be viewed as such. Rebecca Greenwood, Christian Harvest International and Chosen Books hereby disclaim any and all responsibility or liability for any adverse or damaging effects that may be asserted or claimed to have arisen as a result of use of this material.
Names of individuals and details about their lives have been changed throughout this book in order to protect their identities, but all stories are true.
The internet addresses, email addresses, and phone numbers in this book are accurate at the time of publication. They are provided as a resource. Baker Publishing Group does not endorse them or vouch for their content or permanence.
To my three beautiful and precious daughters, Kendall, Rebecca and Katie. No words can ever express the joy you have brought into my life. You are each blessed with an exceptional spirit and perseverance, and exemplify a joyful and steadfast love. I can honestly say through your example, I learn from each of you daily. I love all three of you dearly and pray the Lord’s best for each of your lives.
C ONTENTS
Foreword
Acknowledgments
Introduction
1. Deliverance Defined
This chapter defines the key aspects of deliverance ministry. Along with an overview of demonic oppression and influence, we ask the question, Who is the deliverance minister?
2. Jesus the Deliverer
Jesus came not only to bring salvation to humankind but also to defeat the power of Satan and his demons. In this chapter we investigate Jesus’ authority and the radical freedom people experienced as a result of the “power encounter” between light and dark.
3. What Demons Do and Why They Do It
Satan is the father of lies! He is a created being who fell from heaven. He is also the master and commander of demons. Who or what are these demons, and what is their purpose?
4. Can a Christian Have a Demon?
If Christians have victory in Jesus, how can demons possibly influence our lives? This seeming contradiction has left many Christians unprepared for the enemy’s attempts to wreak havoc in our lives. We explore the tripartite nature of man and learn how demons use the Fall to their advantage.
5. Closing the Door on the Enemy
Scripture tells us that the enemy comes to kill, steal and destroy. We can be sure that if we open a door for him, he will walk through with evil intentions. In this chapter we discover a number of ways that we open doors often without realizing it. This knowledge will help us shut out his efforts to imprison us physically, emotionally and spiritually.
6. Authority of the Believer
Jesus gives His followers powerful authority, but we often hesitate to take action or enforce obedience where demons are concerned. How can this be when we have influence over all the power of the enemy in Jesus’ name? Here are three important guidelines that keep us focused on the mission and out of error.
7. Diagnosing Demons
In order to detect and expose satanic strategies, we need to know how to identify demons correctly. Here we uncover the identities and strategies of many of the demons encountered in deliverance ministry.
8. Setting the Stage for Ministry
Before initiating deliverance ministry, we need to gather specific information from the person seeking help. Is this really a deliverance issue? Is this individual saved? Is the person willing to cooperate with ministry leadership?
9. Team Ministry
Because it is based on corporate prayer and a wide range of gifts, team ministry is powerful and effective. We will discuss the responsibility of the leader, traps to watch out for and how the Lord works through prophetic revelation.
10. How to Conduct a Ministry Session
Now it is time to engage in effective deliverance ministry and set the captive free. We learn here how to conduct a ministry session from start to finish. Discussions also include dealing with demonic manifestations and the place of inner healing in deliverance ministry.
11. Walking in Freedom
Demons do not like to lose their hold on children of God. Once cast out, they will always try to regain entrance. Here are the final responsibilities of the deliverance minister, including the strategy of self-discipline and other key ingredients for securing freedom and victory.
Appendix
Bibliography
Index
F OREWORD
The Holy Spirit gives Christians many spiritual gifts. All seven of the “motivational gifts” listed in Romans 12:6–8 are the duty of every Christian, but one of the gifts will represent the stronger motivating force in each person’s life either teaching, mercy, giving, service or one of the other three.
First Corinthians 12:7–10 lists nine “manifestation gifts,” which are particularly evident in the context of ministry in the power of the Holy Spirit. Whether a word of wisdom, a word of knowledge, an unusual level of faith, gifts of healing or one of the other five, these are ways the Holy Spirit expresses His involvement in ministry.
At various ministry times and under various circumstances, a person will display one or another of these manifestation gifts. But Paul says clearly that “to one” and “to another” the Holy Spirit gives, as He decides. In other words, no one person will exhibit them all. Why not? Because God created us not to be a collection of “lone rangers,” each doing his or her own thing, but to be an interdependent body of many members working together in symphony.
The third list of spiritual gifts, the “ministry gifts,” is found in Ephesians 4:11: apostle, prophet, pastor (or, more accurately, pastor/teacher), teacher and evangelist. Notice that these are four (or five, depending on how you count them) ministry offices that the Holy Spirit has given the Church.
Missing among each of these lists of gifts is “deliverance” or “deliverance minister.” Why? Because regardless of the blessing that an anointed Christian proficient in deliverance brings to the Church, deliverance ministry is not an office. And regardless of the supernatural qualities of administering the deliverance of a demonized person, deliverance is a sign, not a gift. It is a sign of true discipleship.
Somehow the 21st-century version of Western Christianity has conveniently separated being a Christian from being a disciple. Most of us consider and refer to ourselves as Christians rather than as Christ’s disciples. Why do we make that distinction? First, because disciple speaks of one who is disciplined. Americans rarely apply discipline to their Christian lives. Christianity has to fit into our free time; we rarely make time for it. Second, a disciple is one who has been trained to do what he or she does. Jesus told His disciples that not only would they do the works He did but they, too, would cast out demons. And they did! (See John 5:20 and Mark 16:17.)
Deliverance is not a spiritual gift, then, nor is a deliverance minister a church officer. Deliverance is the job of every Christian disciple!
Most books written on deliverance, frankly, are too long and too complicated, and they make the ministry of deliverance seem more than it is or, worse, less than it is. Or they present deliverance as a mysterious ministry for the rare and uniquely gifted few. Jesus, on the other hand, taught deliverance ministry to common men. Their training? They had seen Him cast out demons. Then Jesus sent them out on their own to cast out demons themselves. And this was before the Holy Spirit had been sent at Pentecost to live inside them! (Jesus did, however, make special arrangements for them; see Luke 10:19.)
Our friend Rebecca Greenwood, who was reared a Methodist, then a Baptist, presents deliverance ministry in a clear-minded, practical, uncomplicated and theologically sound way. She is not a novice, nor does she practice strange methods. To her, deliverance is more than mere theory; it is proficiency. This book is a biblical perspective on the demonstrable fact that, through Becca’s life and the lives of others, God still empowers and expects Christians to cast out demons today.
As the Church age draws to a close and the last great harvest of souls is reaped, disciples of Christ must be prepared to help those coming out of darkness to be freed from its clutches.
