From Captivity To Courage by Bobby Conner August 1998

"You have come to the kingdom for such a time as this." Esther 4:14

You are not "Generation X". You have been chosen and placed in the world for these exciting end-times. Jesus gives this challenge and charge to each believer, "You have not chosen Me, but I have chosen you -- and I have appointed you -- that you might go and bear fruit and keep bearing; that your fruit may be lasting; so that whatever you ask the Father in My name He may give you." (John 15:16) What a wonderful and encouraging thought. The Son of God has chosen you. You are selected for special service. He has appointed you to bear lasting fruit in this world -- and to keep bearing.

Captured by Complacency

Unfortunately, many believers have lost sight of the real purpose and goals of their lives: they have lost sight of God's divine purpose and sovereign destiny in their lives. Instead, they have become paralyzed by a "spirit of aimlessness." Much of the church in our land has become inactive and lethargic -- held captive by the curse of complacency.

When Saul and the army of Israel went up against Goliath and the Philistines, it was not a time of great victory. All the men of Israel were filled with deep, desperate fear. This fear had completely stopped their attempt to conquer the enemy. Each day for forty days, twice a day, the enemy's dreaded champion, Goliath, whose very name is sinister -- meaning sooth-sayer -- would mock and taunt the cowardly army of Israel. The Scriptures state when Saul and all Israel heard these words of the Philistines they were dismayed, and greatly afraid when they saw Goliath. I Samuel 17:24 tells us, "And all the men of Israel, when they saw the man, fled from him, and were sore afraid."

Saul's army had become satisfied with the activity of mustering. These men were trained to muster, which is a military term speaking of "the art of assembling and reporting of the troops for formal military inspection, to come together or to congregate." They were all dressed in their battle array and had on their armor, but they had no heart to stand, face and fight the enemy.

Has the modern-day Church become professional musters? The church today cannot be content with just getting dressed in armor. It is time for action!

Trapped by Traditions

Another area in which many believers are caught is the treacherous trap of traditions. Traditions can make you totally miss the real divine destiny that Almighty God has chosen for you. Let us hear and give heed to these clear warnings from God's Word about the danger of man's tradition. "Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ." (Colossians 2:8) Notice this stern warning from the Word of God. "Beware" speaks of being careful. We must be on guard not to be led away from the Word of God by the word of men. We must build upon the proper foundation of God's Word, not man's teaching and traditions. Jesus told us, "'For laying aside the commandment of God, you hold the tradition of men -- the washing of pitchers and cups, and many other such things you do.' And He said to them, 'All to well you reject the commandment of God, that you may keep your tradition... Making the Word of God of no effect through your tradition which you have handed down. And many such things you do.'" (Mark 7:8-13)

Yes, we must roll away the stone of man's teaching and traditions and ask God to grant us a heart of faith and courage to simply believe Him no matter what people say. Remember the warning, the traditions of men can make the Word of God of no effect.

The Anointing Breaks the Yoke

How can we get free of these burdens? How can we break the chains of our captivity? It is the anointing that can remove the burden of tradition and break the spirit of aimlessness that holds so many in captivity. "It shall come to pass in that day that his burden will be taken away from your shoulder, and his yoke from your neck, and the yoke will be destroyed because of the anointing oil." (Isaiah 10:27) The anointing of God's power and presence sets captives free.

God anoints us not only to set us free, but to equip us to complete the assignment He has called us to -- the touch is for the task! One of the best definitions of the anointing is this: The manifested power of God's Holy Spirit in your life to accomplish and perform supernatural works of God. Jesus was anointed "with the Holy Spirit and with power," and we need the same anointing on us to complete all He has called us to. Jesus has told us, "Behold I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you." (Luke 10:19) Jesus uses two different Greek words for power. "I give unto you power" -- the Greek word translated here as power is exousia, a Greek word which means authority. "...to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power" -- the Greek word rendered power here is dunamis, which means ability. So, Jesus Christ has given us the authority to cancel out the devil's ability. God wants His people powerful and effective against the enemy!

Getting the Anointing

How do we get this anointing: the anointing which destroys the yoke of bondage and equips us for the task? First, you become discontent with your dry, dead, empty form of religion and you get desperate for a fresh move of God in your life. You must have a deep hunger and longing for more of the presence of God. Listen to the deep desperation of the Psalmist's heart: "I stretch forth my hands to You: my soul thirsts after You, as a thirsty land." (Psalm 143:6) When you get desperate and begin to seek for the Lord with all your heart, then He will be found. God is looking for someone who is longing for His anointing, "For He satisfies the longing soul, and fills the hungry soul with goodness." (Psalm 107:9)

The second step to receiving the anointing is to be clean and pure. Paul tells us in Second Timothy that we must cleanse ourselves from evil desires if we want to be vessels for the Lord's anointing. "Therefore if anyone cleanses himself from the latter, he will be a vessel for honor, sanctified and useful for the Master, prepared for every good work." (II Timothy 2:21) Ask the Lord to search your heart and convict you of any sin. Sincerely repent and confess whatever the Lord shows you, and ask for His precious blood to remove it. God has promised if you will be clothed in His righteousness, you will never be without His oil of anointing. "Let your garments always be white, and let your head lack no oil." (Ecclesiastes 9:8) To the pure, all things are pure.; We are not speaking of holiness for self-righteous sake, but holiness to be a vessel of His choosing -- one that He would delight to pour in His anointing oil. The third step to receiving the anointing is to ask the Heavenly Father to anoint you and fill you afresh with His Spirit and with power. "You do not have, because you do not ask God." (James 4:2) As we have seen, the Lord has promised that if we are wearing His robes of righteousness we will never lack His oil. Once we have become thirsty for God, once we have become clean and pure; we need only ask in faith believing. God is the One who does the works; we are only seeking to make ourselves more open and responsive to Him.

Is There Not A Cause

After we have been freed from captivity and empowered by the Holy Spirit, we must make preparation to engage the enemy. When David arrived on the scene of the battle with the Philistines, he saw not a battle, but the people of God filled with fear -- having lost sight of the goal to which they were called. I can hear the words of David the young shepherd lad as he stands before Saul and the fearful army of Israel, "Is there not a cause?" (I Samuel 17:29) What words for deep thought -- it here not a cause. God is calling and-time army to see and sense the cause, and then to stand in total brave faith. "The Lord that delivered me out of the paw of the lion, and out of the paw of the bear, He will deliver me out of the hand of the Philistine." (I Samuel 17:37) Listen to more of the fearless words of faith, which poured forth from the lips of this shepherd lad:

"Then David said to the Philistine, 'You come to me with a sword, with a spear, and with a javelin. But I come to you in the name of the Lord of Hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. This day the Lord will deliver you into my hand, and I will strike you and take your head from you. And this day I will give the carcasses of the camp of the Philistines to the birds of the air and the wild beasts of the earth, that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel. Then all this assembly shall know that the Lord does not save with sword and spear; for the battle is the Lord's and He will give you into our hands." (I Samuel 17:45-47)

A Time To Prepare

It is time for the army of the Lord to arise and arouse for the cause. The Church will find that they are truly on a mission and have a purpose. The world is waiting and watching for the Church of today to start walking what we have been talking, to start showing what we have been saying. This is a time to be strong and very courageous. "Be strong and of good courage, for to this people you shall divide as an inheritance the land which I swore to their fathers to give them. Only be strong and very courageous, that you may observe to do according to all the law which Moses My servant commanded you; do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may prosper wherever you go. This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success. Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go." (Joshua 1:6-9)

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