India Trip - Part 2 - Heart Journey

My next few blog posts are going to be stories and thoughts from the recent trip I took to India. So here is “India Trip – Part 2 – Heart Journey.”

On our first weekend in India our team split in half and ministered at two different Churches. I was excited to be given the opportunity to lead a team and preach. As people filed into the Church we noticed two women being carried in. We presumed they were sick and that they had come for healing prayer.

However as soon as the worship started demons started wildly manifesting in their bodies. It was quite a scene as a few people tried to get them to calm down. Eventually they were taken to a side room so they could be ministered to.

I preached a message that has been the backbone of Friends First Church, and a message that has totally revolutionised my life. I preached on the Heart Journey and how the love of Daddy God changes us. Let me explain that a little further...

Spirit - Soul - Body

We are three part beings consisting of Spirit, Soul and Body. This is clearly shown in both The Old and New Testament.

In Genesis 2:7 we see that God makes humans (body), breathes a spirit into them, and they become a living soul. 1 Thessalonians 5:23-24 breaks it down as well with Spirit (pneuma), Soul (psyche as in mind will emotions) and Body (soma).

In John 3 Jesus says me must be born again. He continues, flesh gives birth to flesh, and Spirit to Spirit. So when we are born again our Spirit is born new. 2 Corinthians 5 says we are a brand spanking new creation, the old is gone and the new has come! Romans 8 then says the Spirit of Jesus now lives in us. 1 Corinthians 6:17 takes it another step further and says we are one Spirit with Jesus. I could go on and on, but to put it simply, the born again believer is absolutely perfect in the Spirit!

But we don't alway see this perfection on full display. What is actually happening is that whatever we agree with will manifest in our body. That is why Jesus repeatedly emphasised, "Repent (change your mind) and Believe!" The Apostle Paul emphasises renewing our mind. When we speak of the mind we are actually speaking of our soul (psyche.) It is not referring to our brain, but the place where we make decisions, our heart. It is here that we can agree with who we are in the Spirit, and therefore live in that glorious reality, or we can agree with demonic lies and live in bondage and oppression.

However, this renewing is far more than declaring or reciting truths. True renewal comes when your subconscious believes it. For this to happen you need to unravel your beliefs and ask questions like, "Why do I believe that?" Everything we believe is there for a reason, and often the lies we believe are there because of painful experiences. Therefore this is a journey into confronting the shame, guilt, fear and pain that we have tried to hide or cope with. In order to overthrow this dark existence we need to have powerful encounters with ultimate reality, a reality that will replace the darkness with life - this can only be found in the Fathers Love.

Agreement

So back to my story… As I preached I had a clear demonstration for all to see and hear of the power of agreement resulting in demonic manifestations. I shared stories of how encounters with the love of God will change your heart and heal your bodies. We had an awesome ministry time (which I will share a bit more on in my next post) and then I was taken out the back to the women who were in bondage to the enemy.

I’ve seen some deliverance ministries where they yell and scream at the demons and make a huge scene. However, when you realise the power of agreement and the need for the heart journey, deliverance looks quite different.

I knelt down besides the women and called them by name. I spoke to the demons first. “I’m only going to speak to ______. Demons I command you to be quiet.” I would then call them by name, “______, Can you hear me? Would you like to be free?” The women all said yes, and gave me the opportunity to share the gospel with them. They each accepted Jesus invitation to friendship and freedom but as I spoke to more and more people in this room it became clear that there were a number of other people who did not know Jesus yet.

We had them all sit down, and I preached the gospel to the room. It turns out these women were all from one family, and had attended church for the first time this day. The entire family responded to the message and accepted the invitation to join Jesus family! I left them with the discipleship team who continued to minister to them.

Heart Journey

In my context in Australia I don’t see blatant manifestations like this very often. Rather the demonic is more subtle. But the lesson remains, whatever we agree with we empower. In the Spirit we are perfect, but for this reality to manifest we need to have powerful encounters with the love of God that will transform our hearts - and when this happens we will be free indeed!

A big Thank you to the Saladi family for looking after us and inviting us into their Church! Have you read Part 1 yet? Check it out here.