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I had a dream from the Lord this week which truly alarmed me. In the dream, I saw that the Church at large, Christ’s Bride, was being systematically seduced by a man who was familiar to her. He was a “believer” and an active participant in countless local and regional ministries. Because this man was working toward the same goals and supposedly serving the same Lord, the Bride willingly gave herself to his service in the deepest sense of the word. The Bride (represented in the dream by a variety of different women) bore his children and nurtured them as best as she could. However, once the children were born, the man returned to each one of the women, exposing himself as a liar, not a lover of God. Though operating within the Church, he was anti-Christ. The liar threatened to kill any children the women had borne if they revealed his true nature. This man was a perverted flatterer seeking promotion at the expense of anyone who would tolerate his advances! Once the Bride realized who he was, the liar secretly bribed her to remain silent. He told the Bride and her prophets that their own children would die if they ever revealed his identity. Because he lived and ministered alongside her, the Liar controlled the Bride through fear. Despite her attempts to save them, the “children” (or ministries) the Bride possessed were eventually lost, and she became barren and unfruitful. SEDUCED TO DEATHWhen I awoke from this dream, I knew it was from the Lord. I was truly horrified at the demonic nature of the man in the dream, who represented the spirit of Jezebel. Christians tend to think of Jezebel spirits as women, yet the Jezebel spirit can operate through a woman or a man. Sadly, throughout the Body of Christ, this lying, seductive spirit poses as an angel of light, and the Bride does not always discern that he is within her. Jesus gives a stern warning to the Thyatiran church in Revelation 2:20-23 concerning how she must deal with Jezebel: the spirit is not to be tolerated! Instead, the Bride is to take authority over this false prophet. If she does not, the curse of the Lord (to kill Jezebel’s children with death) will fall upon the Bride. Friends, the Lord is exposing every evil practice in this hour, and this seductive spirit has a demonic agenda used historically against the Bride and against her prophets in particular. In the dream, I saw that true prophets of the Lord were overturned by this counterfeit. Prophets who began in purity ended up prophesying from mixture. Because they failed to discern and warn the church, the prophets were subject to seduction and death - a curse that should have been reserved for their enemies. WHO IS JEZEBEL?
Jezebel represents immorality and a spirit of tolerance and compromise, not just a “controlling” or manipulative spirit as is more frequently taught. Jezebel’s philosophy thrives in an atmosphere of acceptance and grace, teaching that there are no consequences to sin. Someone operating under the influence of this spirit is typically a “lone ranger,” refusing to work with apostles, prophets, or teams, and will resist accountability and repentance, even when confronted with the truth. Under Jezebel's influence, pure worship of God becomes mixed with idolatrous practices. Those controlled by Jezebel may exalt themselves and flatter those who serve them while silencing those who ignore them. At best, these counterfeits drain the energy of the true ministers of God. At worst, they will rob leaders even of their desire to live (See 1 Kings 16). APOSTOLIC AWAKENINGIn Acts 15:29, the apostles and elders of the early church gathered together to discuss the “Gentile question.” The Lord had not discriminated between Jew and Gentile, pouring out His Spirit upon all who believed by faith. As a result, there were questions about how to proceed; should Gentile believers be required to adhere to Jewish rituals? The Jerusalem Council decided to impose “no other burden” except three things they determined necessary for the Christian life: *to abstain from idolatry/things offered to idols *to abstain from blood and things strangled *to abstain from sexual immorality What should stand out to us here is that these commands were intended, at least in part, to combat Jezebel's influence. HOW DOES THE BRIDE FREE HERSELF FROM JEZEBEL?We are meant to be alarmed at the Lord’s warnings in Revelation, and those in my dream. The only remedy for agreement with Jezebel is repentance. (See Revelation 2:21; click here for prayers you can use to do this.) Christ’s call to repentance is as strong today as it was in John’s letters to the seven churches. In fact, it is one of the three strategies the enemy is using to attack the Church in these end times. (More on the others to come in future posts.) To tolerate Jezebel is to invite sickness, tribulation, and trouble into your life and the life of your congregation. The Lord is cleansing His Bride of everything that defiles her during this time of consecration. God will not dwell with Jezebel! Zeal for holiness in our own “temples” will cause us to take a stand against this liar who tries to seduce us with “good” works bearing bad fruit. Prophets and preachers alike need to beware of any false belief that compromise is acceptable to a holy God! To be free of this seducing spirit, Jesus’ requirement for repentance must be met. Jesus appears to the Thyatiran church as One whose eyes “are like blazing fire and whose feet are burnished bronze.” A godly church may begin as a burning flame, but tolerance of compromise or immorality will pour cold water over that flame, extinguishing the fire that once burned in their heart for the Lord. Dear friends, we must not shy away from allowing the fire of the Holy Spirit to burn away impurities in this season, even if it means releasing “children” or works we thought were of the Lord! TOLERANCE MUST NEVER TAKE THE PLACE OF HOLINESS! The Lord’s Bride will either be quenched by cold, counterfeit philosophies or kindle a holy fire to burn away these impurities. To receive true apostolic power, believers must determine never to walk with a spirit of compromise. Without purity of heart, the very power believers seek will destroy them. (For an example, see Acts 5:1-11) The Lord’s promise to His Church still stands: those who hold fast to authentic love and faith, persevering in Spirit-led works of God, will receive power over the nations. Empowerment begins as we take a bold stand against the lies that torment true lovers of God! RESPOND TO THIS WORD:
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Deborah Perkins is a seasoned prophetic writer, teacher, and Christian leader with more than 35 years of ministry experience across denominations. At God's request in 2013, she founded His Inscriptions, an online ministry devoted to helping people worldwide “Discover Life-Giving Communication with God.” Through teaching, mentoring, and a weekly blog, Deborah offers discipleship to those who want to grow their relationship with God. Deborah currently lives in New England with her hubby, 3 sons, one cat and a coop full of chickens. Her books are available on Amazon.
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August 2023
AuthorA severe hearing loss from childhood caused Deborah Perkins to develop what she now calls her secret weapon: tuning in to God's voice. A Wellesley College graduate and an award-winning writer, Deborah is now a wife and mother of 3 boys. Deborah has devoted over 25 years to professional and lay Christian ministry in New England and beyond. Her passion is inspiring people to cultivate greater intimacy with God. 
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