Sons to Glory book by Paul Jablonowski |
Part
3 - Being
Mature Sons - Intercession
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Chapter 21 Highway of Holiness Intercession for the Nations
During August of 2001, I was privileged to be a part of a sovereign time of intercession just outside of the Chicago/Milwaukee area. I saw some old friends and met some new ones as a group of 12 musicians gathered together in a literal "upper room" in Martin and Robyn Green's new condo which they had just moved into the weekend prior. This loft room just happened to have two sky lights in the ceiling. I thought this was interesting because Robyn is the author of a book entitled, "The Open Door," which is a wonderful explanation of how Psalmists enter the open doors in heaven through spontaneous praise and worship. What impressed me the most about this particular time of intercession, was that we had both the clear direction and the authority from the Lord to accomplish HIS will and purposes in intercession with such a small group. It is one thing to get a revelation of spiritual strongholds in a particular area and quite another thing to have the Lord's authority and direction to battle them. The Scriptures say we "cast out devils and demons," but we "wrestle" with principalities. Ephesians 6:12 - "For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places." By ourselves we have no authority over these wicked spirits, but Scripture is clear that Jesus DOES have authority over them, and when we are operating with HIS direction and authority then we have authority over them too. Col. 2:15 says that Jesus, "...disarmed/spoiled principalities and powers, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them." We did this intercession through the medium of spontaneously played music, or "free flow" worship, or Psalming. The command and direction that the Lord gave us was to OPEN UP THE SPIRITUAL GATES over Africa and pave a "Highway of Holiness" from Cape Town South Africa through Cairo Egypt and on to Jerusalem Israel. It was a mission impossible in the natural, but we have a supernatural God! This was the first time I had been a part of such a music group where we corporately played what the Spirit of God was speaking. We were one in the Spirit and executed His will musically. This is what the arts were created for to worship God! I cannot say that I understand all of the spiritual aspects of what we were doing or accomplishing, but I do know that Scripture clearly talks about spiritual gates or doors of entry that are access points in the earth for either good or evil. Psalms 24:7 says, "Lift up your heads, O you gates! and be lifted up, you everlasting doors! And the King of glory shall come in!" We need to know where these spiritual gateways are, and how to activate and operate in them so that God's purposes (and not the enemy's) can be fulfilled! The state of Florida during the year 2000 presidential election was an example of a spiritual gateway. There was much warfare being waged at this "access point" into the USA. Florida intercessors waged a great spiritual battle at this time, and I also participated in personal and corporate prayer for God's will to be done in my nation of America. The endnotes contain an internet link to some of the history and "spiritual warfare" information gathered by Florida intercessors during this "gate opening."34 We all gathered on Saturday, August 4th, 2001, in a small schoolhouse/coffeehouse church to record our musical intercession before the Lord. With this "gate opening" understanding from the Lord in mind, we waited upon our KING to give us direction upon our instruments. There were three different keyboardists, two drummers, one of whom was a percussion specialist, a flute player, a bass guitar player, myself on the guitar, and several singers and intercessors. A brother named Brett Cooksey started us off on the keyboards because he is from South Africa and has some real connection or functional authority with the land where we started our intercession. Also, Steve and Heather Lincoln who played on the drums and assorted percussion instruments are missionaries in Africa and have a real heart for the people of this land. Steve and Heather, who are originally from the UK, travel on a full time basis in Africa and abroad teaching on "free flow" worship, releasing creativity and spiritual mapping intercession. One person told me on the way to the studio with tears in his eyes that the Lord had given him a revelation of what was about to be accomplished in the Spirit. He was deeply saddened because he knew there was about to be "a line drawn in the sand" between good and evil. He knew that God's judgments were just and true because HE only uses them to try to persuade people to repent and turn to Him as any loving father would discipline his children. He was shown that our "Selah session" was like a petition before a courtroom in heaven and that we were given an audience before the throne of God this day. It was only after this worship session that I was shown this same thing about the broken heart of God, and it broke me to tears also for all of the children and people who will never know the loving embrace of our Heavenly Father because they have rejected His Son. God's loving kindness and mercy really is everlasting, yet there comes a time when sin must be judged and justice meted out. Not that our petition (proclamation) was any weightier than the thousands and millions of others who have prayed for Africa and Israel and the nations, but it was simply the SET TIME for these particular bowls of prayers in heaven to be poured out upon the earth. It is sort of like the last straw that broke the camels back... The last petition in the bowl which fills it up before God pours out HIS judgment in an effort to draw HIS creation back to HIM. We were given Psalm 102:13-17, some of which says, "You will arise and have mercy on Zion; for the SET TIME, to favor her, Yes, the set time, has come... For the Lord shall build up Zion; He shall appear in His glory, He shall REGARD THE PRAYER OF THE DESPERATE, and shall not despise their prayer." The Lord hears the cries of His people for justice and righteousness and at the set time He will answer. "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 from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their
land." (2 Chron. 7:14) The Lord used many confirmations to show me that what occurred at this intercession meeting was indeed the will and word of the Lord. Listed below are 7 things the Lord used to give further understanding of what He was doing:
In closing, I would like to try to convey the sense of destiny that I felt at this small gathering of intercessors. It really was not about us, but all about Jesus and what HE desires to do in this earth. He is looking for a people who are dead to self so that HIS life can live in them and accomplish HIS purposes in the earth. Opening the spiritual gates so that the KING can come through really is a serious matter, and it can make the difference between life and death for multitudes who do not know about the love of their Heavenly Father. He desires that ALL people repent and come to the knowledge of HIM, but when there are spiritual strongholds that hinder the salvation of souls, it becomes a serious mater to deal with them according to HIS direction and HIS authority. This type of spiritual warfare can be compared to the Air Force which goes in before the ground troops. The air warfare takes out the main hindrances (strongholds and principalities) so that more salvation and ministry can be accomplished on the ground towards those whom Jesus loves. Isaiah 42:10-13 - "Sing to the Lord a new song, and His praise from the ends of the earth, You who go down to the sea, and all that is in it, You coastlands and you inhabitants of them! Let the wilderness and its cities lift up their voice, The villages that Kedar inhabits. Let the inhabitants of Sela sing, Let them shout from the top of the mountains. Let them give glory to the LORD, and declare His praise in the coastlands. YAHWEH SHALL GO FORTH LIKE A MIGHTY MAN; HE SHALL STIR UP HIS ZEAL LIKE A MAN OF WAR. HE SHALL CRY OUT, YES, SHOUT ALOUD; HE SHALL PREVAIL AGAINST HIS ENEMIES." |
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