Can Jezebel's Witchcraft Really Make You Sick? by Jennifer LeClaire

http://www.charismamag.com/blogs/the-plumb-line/25651-can-jezebel-s-witchcraft-really-make-you-sick

 

When I was writing my first book on Jezebel, I got sick six times in the course of a year. Yes, six times! I was hardly over one cold or flu before I got another cold or flu. This was especially unusual since I hadn't had as much as a sniffle in the five years before.

 

Essentially, I was battling a cycle of infirmity-which I overcame. I'm battling another cycle of infirmity right now and I know others who are facing similar attacks so I thought it wise to dust off the understanding of witchcraft's connection to infirmity so are not ignorant to the devil's devices (see 2 Cor. 2:11). You can read more about Jezebel's tactics in my latest book: Jezebel's Puppets.

 

In this season of ministry, many times when I do a call an altar call for healing the Holy Spirit shows me to break the powers of witchcraft of people's minds before praying over the infirmity that's attacking their bodies. After this happened a few times, I decided to press in to discern the spiritual connection..

 

The Holy Spirit showed me that many times witchcraft against your mind can cause you to focus so much on the symptoms attacking your body that you can't extend your faith to receive God's healing power. In other words, if you aren't careful, when witchcraft attacks your mind you will wind up speaking and thinking about the infirmity rather than speaking and thinking about your healing, allowing the enemy to maintain the stronghold.

 

But Can Witchcraft Cause Sickness?

 

The Bible talks about Jezebel and her witchcrafts in 2 Kings 9:22. I believe infirmities are part of Jezebel's witchcrafts. Witchcraft is a spiritual force, one of the powers listed in Ephesians 6, that the enemy uses to attack us.

 

The word for witchcraft in 2 Kings 9:22 comes from the Hebrew "kesheph." It means sorcery and witchcraft. Merriam-Webster defines witchcraft as "the use of sorcery or magic, communication with a familiar." Sorcery is defined as "the use of magical powers that are obtained through evil spirits." The Queen Jezebel in the Old Testament was influenced by the spirit we call Jezebel today. She was practicing witchcraft-sorcery-against her enemies.

 

Sometimes Jezebel accomplished her wicked agenda with ungodly fasting, as in the case when she usurped Ahab's authority, wrote a letter of lies and got Naboth killed. Other times, Jezebel literally had her enemies murdered, like the true prophets of Jehovah who would not eat at her table. Still other times, she released word curses that sent people into fear and depression, as she did with Elijah after the showdown at Mount Carmel.

 

How Does This Literally Work?

 

I believe people can release witchcraft word curses against you. I more than believe it, I know it because my inbox is full of them every week. People curse me, my family, my ministry and more with the wicked words of their mouth-most of the times these are Christians.

 

A witchcraft word curse from a Christian, I believe, is more powerful than any curse from a witch because a believer's words carry an anointing. We're supposed to break yokes with our words but I believe we can release yokes of sickness with words like, "You're going to get sick if you don't slow down," or "Your mother has all of these autoimmune diseases and that's your future" or "God didn't really heal him from that disease. It was just in remission and now it's manifesting again."

 

Of course, these witchcraft curses don't have to come through Christians. The power of death and life are in every created human being's mouth. Doctors can release word curses over you while trying to offer a diagnosis. And, yes, witches can release negative thought forms and curses against you. (Read my recent article about thought curses.) I knew one brother who was cursed by a well-known prophet in Africa and turned up with rashes all over his body until the curses were finally broken.

 

Taking Authority Over Jezebel's Infirmities

 

What's a believer to do? When it comes to witchcraft, we have to withstand it. The Amplified Bible says to "be firm in faith [against his onset-rooted, established, strong, immovable, and determined]" (1 Pet. 5:9). It's easy enough to give in to witchcraft, especially if you don't know what is attacking you.

 

So if you feel like giving up, when you feel tired for no reason, when you have strong confusion, when you are fighting an intense battle in your mind and when infirmities are manifesting, it could be witchcraft-and it could lead you to the doorstep of infirmity. Resist it at its onset. Cast it off. Submit yourself to God. "Resist the devil [stand firm against him], and he will flee from you"
(James 4:7, AMP).

 

Thank Jesus for His blood and plead it over yourself. Rejoice in the Lord. Praise and worship carry breakthrough. That's often all it takes to change the spiritual climate in your home. And worship is where we should start because He is worthy of our adoration.

 

Take authority over the witchcraft in the name above all names. But before you do, make sure you don't have any common ground with the enemy. Repent for any rebellion in your heart, and surrender your will anew to God. [Bitterness and unforgiveness are open doors as well as generational sins i.e. When I got ill the Lord showed Pastor Ifchu  Amankor in Nigeria that there was a crack in my foundation, (that was a new to me for the Lord had not taught me on foundations back then) and I instantly knew the Jezebel spirit in my family bloodline was the crack] Remember, we are more than conquerors in Christ, and no weapon formed against us can prosper-not even witchcraft. Our job is to be spiritually discerning enough to catch the devil at his onset, resist him, rebuke him and praise God for the victory. Sometimes the battle is fiercer and longer than we would like to endure but we will win if we don't quit. Amen.

 

Jennifer LeClaire

1 Vital Prophetic Protocol We Should All Follow by Jennifer LeClaire

Fort Lauderdale, FL

I've seen some disturbing prophetic words on the Internet recently regarding specific dreams and visions over high-profile leaders in the Body of Christ.

One of those words described a vision of two publicly named spiritual generals down on their knees repenting to one another, suggesting that another great awakening hinged on this act. A second prophecy suggested a different leader – again, publicly named – was fighting for his life because he did something illegal in the spirit that let the devil attack him.

Needless to say, I was disappointed to read these articles online, and more disappointed that others picked up on them and parroted what they read, even adding their own interpretations and speculations. I reached out to some of the authors, but the practice continues – and it grieves me.

It violates prophetic protocol to publish dreams, visions, and other prophetic expressions about named ministry leaders – and especially when the utterance makes a public cry for repentance or offers a rebuke – without approaching the people you're writing about to get their blessing. (Photo via Flickr)

Yes, There Are Exceptions

Matthew 18 dictates we approach a brother privately who has sinned, but even words that don't deal with sin need to be hashed out with the person before you "go live" on the Internet. Such prophecies can have unintended consequences, even if they are true.

There could be times when the Lord would lead a prophet to bypass this process – and it could be impossible to reach the person on which the prophecy centers – but I believe that prophet should then take the word to a prophetic council of elders that would pray over it and offer wise counsel on when and how best to release it, if it needs to be released at all. In other words, there needs to be accountability.

Sure, there are times when the Lord uses a prophet to issue a strong rebuke, but we cannot ignore the Matthew 18 principle. True prophetic utterances do not conflict with Scripture. As one of my prophetic mentors drilled into my head, "God does not speak with a forked tongue!" Again, such words need to be submitted to elder prophets before public release. (Photo via Wikimedia Commons)

Yes, I have read clear and valid prophetic words about politicians, celebrities, and other public figures that bear witness with me and were appropriate in timing and spirit; but a seasoned prophet weighs prophetic utterances that could have a major impact on a person, people, or nation before hitting "publish" on WordPress. And there's a distinction between a celebrity or politician and a man or woman of God who is trying their best to do what God has called them to do.

Rightly Dividing the Word

After grieving over some of these issues, I wrote a post on my Facebook pageaddressing some of it. That post reads:

"Dear Prophets, Before you release a prophetic word, consider the consequences and the ripple effect. Just because the Lord shows you something doesn't mean you need to shout it from the rooftops. If you're wrong, you could hurt a lot of people. Even if you are right, you could hurt a lot of people. Let's filter our prophetic revelation through the lens of wisdom. Ask yourself, who will this help? Does it ultimately exalt Jesus? If the prophecy brings more attention to you than to God, something is wrong with the prophetic picture. Selah."

You can see the comments on this posthere. Most people shouted a hearty "amen." But it's clear we need more training in this area, because others pointed me to Ezekiel 33 about blood being on my hands if I don't release the word, and others pointed me toMatthew 10:27, "What I tell you in darkness, speak in the light. And what you hear in the ear, preach on the housetops." (Photo via Facebook)

Certainly, these Scriptures are truth, but they do not apply to the context of this issue. Ezekiel 33 concerns a watchman who is called to warn a people group, not issue prophetic dreams about leaders who are supposedly in strife. And Matthew 10 does not carry any prophetic connotation. Jesus was telling His disciples to preach the Gospel without fear of what the religious leaders would do to them.

Consider the Consequences

Let's consider the consequences of our prophetic utterances. Death and life are in the power of the tongue (see Proverbs 18:21), and sincere prophets can curse God-fearing ministries, bring a lot of heartache to suffering families, and breed strife and division in the Body unintentionally.

Cindy Jacobs once told me that the prophet needs more than the word of the Lord – they need the word of wisdom about when, if, and how to release the word of the Lord. Many times, the Lord shows us things to drive us into the prayer closest or the war room. We also need to pray over the prophetic word so that it hits soil that can receive it. (Photo via Pixabay)

Charles Spurgeon once said, "Even Christ's own seed of the Word, pure from His own hands, brings forth no fruit when it falls on unprepared hearts."

Releasing shocking prophetic words without a council of prophetic elders who will sift, pray through, and judge them almost always brings unintended harm to some who hear it. Wisdom – and Scripture – dictates we approach releasing strong calls for repentance and rebukes with the Golden Rule found in Luke 6:31, "Do unto others as you would have others do unto you."

Used by Permission from Charisma Magazine.

Jennifer LeClaire
News Editor at Charisma Media,
Founder of Jennifer LeClaire Ministries
Email: jennifer@jenniferleclaire.org
Website: www.jenniferleclaire.org

You Can Sound the Alarm, But... by Jennifer LeClaire

Fort Lauderdale, FL

Nine months ago, I heard in my spirit a strong and clear word from the Lord. This encounter was at a stadium prayer event that changed my mind about the supernatural – and signs and wonders have been following me ever since.

I'll always remember it. It was January 24, 2015 at The Response prayer rally in Baton Rouge. Thousands of people were crying out to God for our nation when I heard the words below in that still, small voice I so love. I've waited nine months to release them on this platform because I wanted to gain a deeper understanding of what the Lord was saying – and I was waiting for His timing. I believe the time is now. Here is the prophecy:

"My Blood is sufficient. My covenant is sure. 2 Chronicles 7:14 is truth. You need not operate in fear but embrace the power to cleanse that's inherent in repentance. I want to cleanse America. But it starts with purifying your hearts.

"The Church in this hour must herald the message of repentance in the same way as preachers in the 'Voice of Healing' movement heralded the message of healing. Then will you see the manifestation of My presence and the wells of the supernatural will be unlocked and many who are lost will be restored to My love. (Photo via Wikipedia)

"It starts with the message of repentance. This is the message that I need you to shout from the rooftops in this hour. Everything the Church needs to fulfill her call in this hour flows from a contrite heart. You can sound the alarm but without repentance it will fall on deaf ears.

"Many are entering eternity every day without My Son because they have not heard this message. Some of them are sitting in the Church right now. Start there with this message and it will position the Church to rise up in My power for My glory."

When I asked the Lord how the voice of healing preachers heralded the message of healing, He gave me three points: Repetitive, Passionate and Scriptural.

The Voice of Healing preachers were repetitive. You heard many of the same core messages about God's power to heal and deliver over and over again in these tent meetings. The Voice of Healing preachers were passionate. Think of A.A. Allen jumping up and down and Jack Coe's exuberant singing. And, of course, the Voice of Healing preachers were Scriptural. These preachers knew that faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word (see Romans 10:17) and they kept their messages in line with the Word of God.

Two-Sides to One Word

After much prayer, I've come to the conclusion that there are two sides to this prophetic word: We need to repent in the sense that we need to ask forgiveness of our sins and stand in the gap for our nation. Indeed, we need to see repentance in the Church – widespread repentance. But it's not just changing the way we think about sin – and turning away from it – that is required in this hour. We need to change the way we think about the supernatural.

When Jesus rebuked the cities of Chorazin and Bethsaida for not repenting after they saw the mighty miracles He did (see Matthew 11:20-21), that word repent is the Greek word "metanoeo." Metanoeo means "to change one's mind, i.e. to repent; to change one's mind for the better, heartily to amend with abhorrence of one's past sins."

The spirit of religion, along with a lukewarm mindset, prayerlessness and the tradition of men, has all but killed miracles, signs and wonders in our churches. Paul saw this threat in his day, which is why he gave his spiritual son Timothy this advice about those in the Church that "have a form of godliness but deny its power." In 2 Timothy 3:5 he said, "Turn away from such people."

We need to turn away from thoughts that limit God in our lives. We need to turn away from a powerless expression of the Gospel. We need to turn back toward faith in God to heal the sick, cast out demons and, yes, even raise the dead. God is a God of miracles! Jesus walked on water. Jesus healed a man born blind. Jesus healed the deaf and dumb. Jesus fed many thousands of people with a few loaves and fishes – more than once. Jesus raised people from the dead. Jesus healed a man's withered hand. Jesus turned water into wine. Jesus healed a paralytic. (Photo via Charisma Online)

Getting Back to the Great Commission

I could go on and on – and it wasn't just Jesus. The apostles and the disciples in the book of Acts did miracle after miracle – even special miracles so that handkerchiefs which Paul had touched were brought to the sick who were then healed (see Acts 19:11-12). And Jesus told them, "Truly, truly I say to you, he who believes in Me will do the works that I do also. And he will do greater works than these, because I am going to My Father. I will do whatever you ask in My name, that the Father may be glorified in the Son" (John 14:12-13).

The supernatural is part of the Great Commission! A lost and dying world doesn't want to engage with a lukewarm religion. In fact, it's obvious that the world finds lukewarm Christianity tasteless. When Jesus issued the Great Commission in Mark 16:17-18, He was very clear that "these signs shall follow them that believe; In My name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover."

We need to repent – to change the way we think about the supernatural. We need to believe God to walk in His supernatural power. People are dying and going to Hell because the power of the Gospel has not been demonstrated. Religion in many cases has replaced relationship. It's time to press into what God wants to do in this hour – and I believe He wants to restore the supernatural to the Church in a convincing way. Like Paul, inspired by the Holy Spirit, said: "For the Kingdom of God is not in word, but power" (1 Corinthians 4:20).

Used by Permission from Charisma Magazine.

Jennifer LeClaire
News Editor at Charisma Media,
Founder of Jennifer LeClaire Ministries
Email: jennifer@jenniferleclaire.org
Website: www.jenniferleclaire.org

God is Bringing Divine Reconnections Full Circle in This Hour by Jennifer LeClaire

Fort Lauderdale, FL

Divine connections. We all want them. Many of us pray for them. We certainly hear a lot of prophecies about them. Hopefully, you've had a few along your narrow path.

Divine connections—those God-breathed relationships that seemingly come out of nowhere and have the potential to radically impact your life—are vital to fulfilling Father's call on your life. To be sure, these relationships can be absolutely life changing, even if they are only seasonal in intensity.

Divine connections are Scriptural and necessary. Moses and Joshua had a divine connection. Samuel and David had a divine connection. Elijah and Elisha had a divine connection. Paul and Timothy had a divine connection. In each case, we see destiny arising from those relationships. Joshua took the Promised Land baton from Moses. Samuel anointed David as king. Elisha grabbed Elijah's mantle. And Timothy carried on Paul's Gospel mission.

Sudden Divine Reconnections

I'm grateful for the many divine connections God has brought into my life. I've been blessed with many godly relationships that have strengthened me, opened doors for me and imparted wisdom that would have otherwise taken me decades to glean. Over the last year, though, God has put an emphasis on divine reconnections in my life that have been as powerful as any divine connection I've ever experienced. (Photo via Pixabay)

Indeed, I've seen three especially significant divine reconnections that have brought spiritual increase into my life I wasn't expecting and could never have walked into on my own two feet. One of them was with Ryan LeStrange, with whom I co-founded awakeningtv.com and my now fellow New Breed Revival Network leader. After a decade, we reconnected about a year ago and it's been explosive.

Another divine reconnection was with Rich and Dottie Kane of the Healing Rooms Ministries of South Florida. They have stood with me, walked by me and helped me launch Awakening Healing Rooms at the Awakening House of Prayer in Hollywood, Florida. During the training session, a woman came in with terminal cancer seeking prayer. We prayed for her, the power of God overtook her, and the doctors could not explain how her cancer markers dropped from 16 to 1.5. It was God—and through a divine reconnection.

Divine reconnections are what I call a "full circle experience." Dutch Sheets has a strong message on this topic of coming full circle. In this revelation, he explains when you come full circle in God you come up to a higher level. I'm not doing the teaching justice in this small snippet, so I encourage you to click the link and listen to the entire word. My point is that divine reconnections are relationships that come full circle—at a higher level.

Reconciling Divine Relationships

For all the divine connections I see in the Bible, I also see powerful divine reconnections or full circle relationships in Scripture that reveal God's redemptive, reconciliatory power.

One of the most powerful divine reconnections is Paul's relationship with John Mark. When Saul and Barnabas set out to the mission field they took young John Mark with them (see Acts 12:12). For whatever reason (likely connected to the spiritual warfare that raged against Paul's ministry) John Mark abandoned the mission (see Acts 13:13-14).

Later, Saul and Barnabas split because Barnabas wanted to take John Mark with them but Paul thought it was better not to take him since he bailed the first time around. But God brought the relationship full circle. In one of Paul's last letters from prison he mentioned John Mark, telling his spiritual son Timothy to "get Mark, and bring him with you, for he is profitable to me for the ministry" (2 Timothy 4:11).

Lot also experienced a divine reconnection with Abraham that may have saved his life. Lot and his family were taken captive by five kings (see Genesis 14:8-12). When Abraham heard it, he gathered 318 men from his household and set out to rescue Lot—and succeeded. Although they did not continue walking together as they had before Lot chose to dwell in Sodom, it was a powerful, divine reconnection. (Photo via flickr)

Just like divine connections, you can't make divine reconnections happen. That's part of the reason they are called divine. It is God's doing in His way and with His timing. When they do come, full circle relationships manifest in His season and for His reason. I believe in this season God is bringing forth many divine reconnections and also breathing new life into established relationships so we can run swiftly into His purposes and redeem the time because the days are evil.

Used by Permission from Charisma Magazine.

Jennifer LeClaire
News Editor at Charisma Media,
Founder of Jennifer LeClaire Ministries
Email: jennifer@jenniferleclaire.org
Website: www.jenniferleclaire.org

SHOULD WE BELIEVE THE DOOM AND GLOOM PROPHECIES? by Jennifer LeClaire

http://www.charismanews.com/opinion/watchman-on-the-wall/51147-should-we-believe-the-doom-and-gloom-prophecies

I’m sober. My eyes are wide open. I see the conditions in America. I hear the cries of legitimate prophetic voices that are warning us of the destruction they see in the days ahead.

I’ve been told Puerto Rico is going to be hit with a massive meteor. I’ve been told a tsunami on the East Coast will put much of Florida underwater. I’ve been told a great earthquake is coming that will split the nation in half. I’ve been told the economy is going to collapse and a widespread famine will see multitudes starve to death.

I’ve been told many things. Yet I’m still believing for a Great Awakening. I believe it’s going to be just as God told me it would be.

Yes, I do believe God is disciplining America. Yes, I do believe that we’re reaping what we’ve sown. Yes, I do believe that things are going to get worse before they get better. But I absolutely, positively refuse to buy into the notion that God is not going to pour out His Spirit once again. I reject the idea that widespread transforming revival that sees a great harvest of souls is not possible in America.

Yes, I believe God does send warnings through prophets. I receive many of these warnings myself and I believe they should be trumpeted with clarity, humility, and weeping. I believe we need to lift up our voices and speak the hard truths so that we don’t end up with the blood of lost souls on our hands. But I refuse to lose hope for a Third Great Awakening. Even Isaiah, who offered plenty of prophetic words about judgment, was known as the prophet of hope.

I stand with men of God like Dutch Sheets and refuse to align myself with doom and gloom prophets who don’t make room for the mercy of God that triumphs over judgment (see James 2:13). Sheets, an international best-selling author and speaker and the man who received a revelation about a covenant-keeping God that brought the Appeal to Heaven flag back to the fore, acknowledges that America is at its most significant crossroads since the days of slavery and the Civil War.

“Without a doubt, our destiny—perhaps our survival—is at stake. Rome isn’t burning, but the match is lit. Insofar as determining which way America goes, the next year will be the most significant of our lives,” says Sheets, author of An Appeal to Heaven. “For those who pray for America, the well-worn axiom has never been more appropriate: no more business as usual.”

Like Sheets, I have been pondering the gravity of our situation. He points out that the wealthiest nation on earth has spent and borrowed its way out of freedom and into bondage to the tune of $19 trillion and counting. I see it. He notes that the sanctity of marriage has been destroyed and is now mocked. I see it. He’s concerned that God has been expelled from our schools, and legislated from our government and public places. I see it. He grieves over the abortions paid for by our tax dollars and the unimaginable revelation of Planned Parenthood selling baby body parts. I see it. I’ve written about the realities of where we are and where I believe God wants to take us in The Next Great Move of God: An Appeal to Heaven for Spiritual Awakening.

“Just as Hitler did with the Jews’ bodies, we are ‘experimenting’ on the ‘undesirables.’ The unimaginable is here. Far from being outraged, most of America has moved on. When first reported, one panel on a major news channel defended these actions as ‘charitable’ and ‘acts of kindness’ on the part of the mothers. Mind numbing!” Sheets says. “We’ve become like apostate Israel, mentioned in Jeremiah 6:15, ‘They don’t even know how to blush!'”

You might read all this and decide that judgment is inevitable; that the sky is falling; that we’re doomed and done for; that God has turned His back on this nation and we may as well give up, store food, buy guns and hide in a cave. Yet I don’t believe that’s the right response—and neither does Sheets. We believe there is hope. I’ve long said that politicians can’t fix the problems—but prayer can.

“Only a spiritual awakening of unprecedented proportions can save us, and only concerted and fervent prayer can birth such a revival,” Sheets says. “God, however, in His mercy and grace, has already begun this new move of prayer. It’s actually an old movement reborn. Almost 250 years ago, George Washington launched the first Appeal To Heaven movement, which was fueled by a flag, became the rallying cry of a ragtag army and resulted in our birth as a nation. Phase II has begun, and will rebirth us.”

The Appeal to Heaven movement wasn’t intentional. Sheets never tried to launch a move of God—but God did. The Holy Spirit birthed this movement as a catalyst to stir a Third Great Awakening but it’s not a done deal. Sheets says it will not reach its intended scope and strength without our efforts. In other words, we can’t do God’s part and He won’t do our part. Doing our part means having our eyes wide open, our knees to the ground and our faith-filled prayers rising to heaven. It’s hard to be full of doom and gloom and faith at the same time. As Sheets says, let’s appeal to heaven.

When the Gadites Rise the Goliaths Will Fall by Jennifer LeClaire

Fort Lauderdale, FL

"When the Gadites rise the Goliaths will fall." I heard the Holy Spirit speak those words Tuesday night after I hung up from our Appeal to Heaven prayer call.

We're praying out the prophecies over the nation and we were praying out a prophetic word Tim Sheets released, part of which read: "As Esther, they will rewrite them by My statutes. Governors of the culture will now come forth. Remnant warriors will now emerge who have the heart of David, the wisdom of Solomon and the tenacity of Paul."

While I was praying through that part of the prophecy, the Holy Spirit started showing me the Gadites. I began to pray for the mighty warring Gadites to rise and take out the Goliaths. Again, when I hung up I heard the Holy Spirit say, "When the Gadites rise the Goliaths will fall."

Who Are the Gadites?

The Gadites came from the tribe of Gad. Gad was the seventh son of Jacob. His name means "troop." The Bible describes the Gadites as "men able to bear shield and sword, to shoot with a bow, and who were skillful in battle, who went to war" (1 Chronicles 5:18). When Jacob blessed his 12 sons before he died, he prophesied, "Gad shall be attacked by raiding bands, but he shall raid at their heels" (Genesis 49:19). In other words, it looked like Gad had lost the fight but he made a comeback. Isn't that what it looks like in America even now? (Photo via Wikipedia)

We find another mention of the Gadites in 1 Chronicles 12:8: "From the Gadites mighty men of valor, men of the war battalion, who could handle shield and sword, whose faces were like the faces of lions, and who were as swift as the gazelles on the mountains, separated themselves for David in the stronghold in the wilderness" (MEV). Remember, it was the Gadites who stood on the side of righteousness with David amid Absalom's great rebellion. The Gadites are the ones who will stand strong amid the Great Falling Away we're seeing in the Church even now.

Matthew Henry's Commentary describes the Gadites this way: "They were able-bodied men, men of incredible swiftness, not to fly from, but to fly upon, the enemy, and to pursue the scattered forces. In this they were as swift as the roes upon the mountains, so that no man could escape from them; and yet they had faces like the faces of lions, so that no man could out-fight them. They were disciplined men, trained up to military exercises; they could handle shield and buckler, use both offensive and defensive weapons... They were daring men, that could break through the greatest difficulties. What enemies those were that they met with in the valleys, when they had passed Jordan, does not appear; but they put them to flight with their lion-like faces, and pursued them with matchless fury ..."

Goliath Must Fall

The Gadites had faces like lions. I like that. It means the fierceness and boldness showed on their faces, intimidating their enemies. Proverbs 28:1says, "The wicked flee when no man pursues, but the righteous are bold as a lion."

How bold is a lion? They aren't called the king of the jungle for nothing. The Bible calls the lion "strongest among beasts" (see Proverbs 30:29-30). Amos asked, "The lion has roared; who will not fear?" (Amos 3:8) You can hear a lion roar from miles and miles away. And Peter warns us to, "Be sober and watchful, because your adversary the devil walks around as a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour" (1 Peter 5:8). Of course, Jesus is the Lion of the Tribe of Judah (see Rev. 5:5). (Photo via Jennifer LeClaire, Charisma Magazine)

Goliath, on the other hand, was just an uncircumcised Philistine. Unlike the Gadites, Goliath was not in covenant with God. Goliath could not claim the promises of God. Goliath may look big—and he is—but he is no match for the Gadites. In your life and in this nation, Goliaths have risen up to war against us. But take heart. When the Gadites rise, the Goliaths will fall. Rise up now, bold as a lion, and decree and declare your victory over Goliath. Stand for truth amid the rebellion! It's time to roar! Decree and declare that the Goliaths attacking this nation will fall, in Jesus' name!

Used by Permission from Charisma Magazine.

Jennifer LeClaire
News Editor at Charisma Media,
Founder of Jennifer LeClaire Ministries
Email: jennifer@jenniferleclaire.org
Website: www.jenniferleclaire.org