Video to go with the notes below: The Spirit of Slumber
It is TIME to break off the Spirit of Slumber and decree, “Restore! Restore!” to the bride of Christ! It’s time to see the light break through the darkness and open the prison doors and lift people out of the pits they have dug for themselves. We have heard the prophets declare for 2 years now, it’s time to AWAKE! This is why the church had to awake, because they were slumbering. Now we will see which virgins have their lamps lit with sufficient oil and those who thought they had it but don’t.
I mentioned in the introduction that the Strongmen over the Niagara region are Lethargy & Compromise, which lines up with the spirit of slumber and the doctrine of Balaam. The good news is that things are changing. It used to be Jezebel & Leviathan. But hallelujah! Progress is being made. The Elijah’s & Elisha’s are arising and decreeing to the people, “Why do you halt between 2 opinions? If you love God, then serve Him. If Baal is your god, then serve him.” Get off the fence and make a choice whom you will serve! The days of syncretism are coming to an end. The darkness will get darker and the light will get brighter as the compromise is purified out of the Ekklesia.
What is the definition of lethargy? According to Google Dictionary, it is “a lack of energy and enthusiasm; a pathological state of SLEEPINESS or deep UNRESPONSIVENESS and INACTIVITY.”
Synonyms include: sluggishness · inertia · inactivity · inaction · slowness · torpor · torpidity · lifelessness · dullness · listlessness · languor · languidness · stagnation · laziness · idleness.
This also lines up with the spirit of Ahab, which is known for spiritual passivity. King Ahab compromised on God’s commandments by marrying a pagan wife who would profit him materially. He was about building his own kingdom but failed to build God’s kingdom. Unfortunately, his passivity and compromise ended up costing him his wife, his own life, the lives of his 70 sons, and his earthly kingdom.
Luke 11:21-22 – 21 When a strong man, fully armed, guards his own palace, his goods are in peace. 22 But when a stronger than he comes upon him and overcomes him, he takes from him all his armor in which he trusted and divides his spoils.
Therefore, the key to breaking free from this strongman is Jesus Christ, the Word, who is the greatest of all strongmen! We need to put action to His words, combining faith with works as we stir up the power of the Holy Spirit within us and becoming living, breathing, walking epistles. Can someone know what the Bible teaches by simply observing your life?
The presence of a Spirit of Slumber is evidence of judgment from God.
As per Isaiah 29, the Spirit of Slumber (also called “spirit of deep sleep” or “spirit of stupor”) is a judgment upon God’s people who worship Him with their lips but their hearts are far from Him, worshiping by the traditions of men and not the commandments of God. It will result in closed spiritual eyes of the prophets and rulers. We are warned to stay away from those who worship God with a form of godliness without power because complacency and compromise is contagious. Our hearts are far from Him when we fail to respond to His love by obey His commandments. We are to love Him because He loved us first. Obedience to His commandments is not a salvation issue. Salvation is possessed by faith alone in the atoning work of Jesus’ blood to cover our sins and bring us back into right relationship with our Heavenly Father. But we respond in love and reverential fear by repenting and walking in obedience birthed out of freedom instead of control. This is why we have such an absence of true love within churches and within our homes and society at large. If we can’t muster up the obedience to love God with all our hearts, the lack of love for ourselves will overflow to a lack of love for our neighbors both down the hallway and down the street. First love God with ALL our hearts, and we will see a transformation as that love overflows to everyone within our sphere of influence.
The spirit of slumber is not only a problem with unbelievers. We are warned in scripture that watchmen, shepherds, God’s servants, messengers, pharisees, the bridegrooms virgins, and followers of Christ can be under a spirit of slumber resulting in them being spiritually deaf and blind. We are also warned about the blind leading the blind straight into a ditch / pit. So be careful that those who are feeding you spiritually are fully awake, so they don’t lead you off course and put you to sleep yourself! According to their fruit, you shall know them. Do they obey and teach others to obey Gods commandments in the spirit of the Law, without control or for the purposes of being seen by men? (Is 42:18-19, Is 56:10, Nahum 3:18, Matt 5:18-19, Matt 7:16, Matt 15:14, Matt 25:5, Mark 4:34, Acts 28:23-29, Rom 11:8).
The presence of a spirit of slumber is evidence of the absence of true love pouring from our hearts to our Heavenly Father.
– John 14:15 – If ye love me, keep my commandments.
– Isaiah 29 – 13 Wherefore the Lord said, Forasmuch as this people draw near me with their mouth, and with their lips do honour me, but have removed their heart far from me, and their fear toward me is taught by the precept of men:
– Isaiah 42:24 – Who gave Jacob for a spoil, and Israel to the robbers? did not the Lord, he against whom we have sinned? for they would not walk in his ways, neither were they obedient unto his law.
The absence of spiritual sight and hearing will result in the presence of disease.
– Isaiah 6:9-10 – 9 And he said, Go, and tell this people, Hear ye indeed, but understand not; and see ye indeed, but perceive not. 10 Make the heart of this people fat, and make their ears heavy, and shut their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and convert, and be healed.
– Deut 7:11-12,15 – 11 Thou shalt therefore keep the commandments, and the statutes, and the judgments, which I command thee this day, to do them. 12 Wherefore it shall come to pass, if ye hearken to these judgments, and keep, and do them, that the Lord thy God shall keep unto thee the covenant and the mercy which he sware unto thy fathers:…. 15 And the Lord will take away from thee all sickness, and will put none of the evil diseases of Egypt, which thou knowest, upon thee; but will lay them upon all them that hate thee.
It is the LORD who gives or withholds from us a heart to perceive and eyes to see and ears to hear (Deut 29:3-4)
– 2 Chronicles 15:12 – And they entered into a covenant to seek the Lord God of their fathers with all their heart and with all their soul;
– 2 Chronicles 12:14 – And he did evil, because he prepared not his heart to seek the Lord.
– Matthew 7:7 – 8 – Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you:
For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.
** Our responsibility is to fervently seek the LORD without quitting. It is God’s responsibility to give us a heart to perceive, eyes to see, and ears to hear. Are we asking for those blessings and fulfilling the conditions to receive them?
One difference between followers and disciples is whether they can spiritually see and hear. Followers are blind and powerless. Disciples are able to do and say what the Father is doing and saying with power and authority.
– Matt 13:13 – 16 – 13 Therefore speak I to them in parables: because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand. 14 And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of [Isaiah], which saith, By hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and shall not perceive: 15 For this people’s heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them. 16 But blessed are your eyes, for they see: and your ears, for they hear.
– Matt 28: – 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.
**The great commission was for us to make disciples, not make followers nor Christians. We will get into a detailed comparison between followers and disciples in a later lesson.
Those that believe yet refuse to publicly acknowledge Jesus Christ as their LORD and savior due to loving the praises of men more than the praise of God will be blinded & develop hardened hearts.
– John 12:37-43 – 37 But though he had done so many miracles before them, yet they believed not on him: 38 That the saying of [Isaiah] the prophet might be fulfilled, which he spake, Lord, who hath believed our report? and to whom hath the arm of the Lord been revealed? 39 Therefore they could not believe, because that [Isaiah] said again, 40 He hath blinded their eyes, and hardened their heart; that they should not see with their eyes, nor understand with their heart, and be converted, and I should heal them. 41 These things said [Isaiah], when he saw his glory, and spake of him. 42 Nevertheless among the chief rulers also many believed on him; but because of the Pharisees they did not confess him, lest they should be put out of the synagogue: 43 For they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God.
Your worship is in vain if you are merely following the traditions of men and not obeying God’s commandments.
– Matt 15:9 – 9 But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.
**There is a blog article on the comparison of the church system vs God’s standard here – http://myfatherswitness.com/my-blog/what-is-the-church-system
Those that do not believe Jesus was present in the Old Testament are blind, deaf, with uncircumcised hearts, fulfilling Isaiah 6:9-10.
– Acts 28:23-28 – 23 And when they had appointed him a day, there came many to him into his lodging; to whom he expounded and testified the kingdom of God, persuading them concerning Jesus, both out of the law of Moses, and out of the prophets, from morning till evening. 24 And some believed the things which were spoken, and some believed not. 25 And when they agreed not among themselves, they departed, after that Paul had spoken one word, Well spake the Holy Ghost by [Isaiah] the prophet unto our fathers, 26 Saying, Go unto this people, and say, Hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and not perceive:
27 For the heart of this people is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes have they closed; lest they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them. 28 Be it known therefore unto you, that the salvation of God is sent unto the Gentiles, and that they will hear it.
**I will show in a different lesson how Jesus Christ is Jehovah and was the one who gave Moses the commandments.
Let’s possess the spoils that Jesus Christ has for us by putting our faith into action by confronting this strongman of slumber, by renewing our minds as we repent of participating with the traditions of men and start walking into God’s commandments, both his logos and rhema commandments! I look forward to hearing your testimonies as you see His power and blessings manifesting in your lives as instruction turns into application.
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