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The past several years I’ve been pondering a question. Has the ministry of intercession gone awry? This question has come from within my spirit. I have read reports about and personally witnessed committed Christians utilizing prayer techniques for which there are no clear New Testament precedents. Maps are being drawn of geographical locations that pinpoint the sites where ancient societies perpetrated abominable acts. Slave auction blocks, Indian ceremonial grounds, locations alleged to be the haunts of witch covens, and abortion clinic parking lots have believers marching around them while enthusiastically shouting forth vehement prayers. In some instances these gatherings are more reminiscent of the prophets of Baal ranting and cutting themselves with stones than they are of believers that have a firm foundation of confidence in Christ’s finished work on the cross (1Ki 18:26-29, 2Co 5:17, Eph 1:19-22, 2:5-6). Curses are vigorously broken. Wicked spiritual entities that have supposedly been hovering over the sites from antiquity are bound, loosed, and cast down. There are intermittent outcries of piteous remorse and repentance for the past and current sins of the unredeemed. The speculation is that this technique will cure all the cultural ills that are endemic to contemporary America. Are these expressions of biblical intercession or distractive practices that dissipate spiritual energy from the vital ministry of prayer? Sadly, I have come to the conviction that it is the latter. It is legitimate for spiritually sensitive saints to be burdened by the Spirit in sorrow over the sinful state of unbelievers (2Pe 2:7). For them to be burdened with a sense of culpability for those sins is the by-product of soulish teaching rather than authentic spirituality (2Co 7:10).
Lest anyone disqualify me as one that does not believe in prayer and spiritual warfare, you can be assured, that is not the case. For over 35 years I have traveled the globe teaching on the topics of prayer, intercession, and fasting. My books and articles on spiritual warfare have been translated into at least 8 languages. My church observes a prayer watch from 10:00AM-2:00AM every Friday night. We have done this at various intervals since 1977. Since 1967, I don’t know of a single month that has passed in which I failed to minister to those requesting deliverance from the influence of evil spirits.
My assessment is that the contemporary Evangelical-Charismatic Church is suffering from error by overemphasis. The prophet Ezekiel spoke forth an outcry against the shepherds that had neglected their responsibility to offer their sheep a balanced diet. He rebuked them for only feeding their flocks grass that they had trampled down and leading them only to waters that they had previously fouled with their feet (Eze 34:18-19). When sheep eat from over-grazed pastures, they get infested with parasites that reside in the dirt. Drinking from waters that have become contaminated by their droppings exposes them to infectious viruses. This is an excellent depiction of the root of error by overemphasis.
Here is HowIt Works
A gifted minister is granted success by the Lord’s grace. He then writes a book and appears on televised programs. Suddenly, he is an expert in a previously neglected area of ministry. The invitations begin to pour in and he finds that he is under pressure to come up with something new and exciting that is not covered in his tape albums. He sets up camp in the area of the Lord’s stream and pasture that gave him notoriety. As time passes, he grasps for new revelations. Unwittingly he begins to espouse things from the pool and pasture that have been contaminated by the continual grazing of those that follow him. It is this factor that has produced distractive practices in the ministry of prayer.
Unbiblical Expectations
Recently sincere Christians have asked me these questions. “Why doesn't the Lord choose to speak to us about events like the shuttle tragedy?” “Wasn't there anyone that He could trust to stand in the gap to avert it?" I do not have the complete answers for these perplexities, but I do have some observations that may be helpful. Occasionally, there will be a few that do get prophetic inklings of such events. Normally, those that get such hints are predisposed to pray about a vast array of items on the national calendar. These forewarnings seldom serve to avert the occurrences. At best, they simply lighten the impact and fulfill the Lord’s promise that He does nothing without telling His prophets (Amos 3:7). Biblically speaking, prior knowledge is not necessarily a guarantee of the prevention of events. Paul was prophetically warned about imprisonment in Rome and a hazardous cruise (Act 21:4, 10-12, 27:10). He was nonetheless shipwrecked, imprisoned, and executed. The night of Jesus’ betrayal He warned His disciples of His impending capture with generalities about the occurrence. Even though He asked them to watch and pray with Him, there is no way in which that particular event could have been averted had they complied. Warnings that help nullify impending tragedies for individual believers are commonplace. Those that forewarn of and help avert national disasters are rare. The New Testament prophecy of Agabus forewarned and prepared the people for Israel’s famine, it did not prevent it (Act 11:28).
Is America a Holy Nation?
Before Christ, Israel as God's holy nation had what could be called a Church-State government. It was His evangelistic voice to the ancient world proclaiming the benefits of faith in Jehovah. Prophets had the function of appointing rulers and proclaiming to neighboring monarchies the Word of the Lord in reference to their behavior and His plans for their subjects. The last Old Testament prophet was John the Baptist. Now God's holy nation is the Church. Its citizens are sprinkled among the nations and serve as ambassadors for Christ’s Kingdom. Every Bible preaching church is an embassy for the government of God. The Church’s prophets have a measure of authority within it that they do not wield within earthly governments. Jesus said very plainly that His government was not of this world (Jn. 18:36). Today, other than Islamic-ruled countries, there are no effective Church-State governments. There is no legal forum in which prophets can make decrees with which civil servants are obligated to comply. The reason is most Christianized nations have a democratic form of government. This is God’s safeguard for us. Think of the havoc that could occur if a fighting fundamentalist Christian came to power that happened to be anti-Charismatic. These already refer to us as demon-possessed. It is not a big jump to imagine that they could also decree that we are a subversive group that has practices that are unhealthy for the common good.
The Scriptures teach us that all rulers are divinely chosen (Dan 4:25,35, Rom. 13:1-5). We may vote and the President may appoint, but God has reserved the right to make the final decisions on who will reign. Therefore, when corrupt sexual deviates come to power it is not the fault of Christians. It does not mean that we have not repented or had enough prayer warriors standing on the walls interceding for our nation. Once God votes, the polls are closed. This being the case, we have nothing for which to repent when it comes to elected officials.
God’s Prophetic Clock is Ticking
I have been praying and interceding for America and Israel since 1968. Since 1974, I’ve seen hundreds of organizations birthed to carry the burden of prophetic intercession for the same. Presently there are more Christians praying for their respective nations and Israel than at any point in history. Those that are candid about the results have reason to be elated and disappointed. We can rejoice in that God is working marvels among the nations as millions are being saved and delivered from bondages. Ever-increasing numbers of Jewish people are being re-grafted into the olive tree of the Messiah. Personal prayers for blessings are being answered in an unprecedented manner. The disappointments are derived from what could be termed the hit-and-miss phenomena. Prayers for the salvation of lost souls, physical healings, and financial blessings are, more often than not, hit with affirmations from on High. Intercessions for world peace and national perplexities are mingled with misses. In regard to America and Israel, the overall climate of neither nation has dramatically improved. Both are increasingly more dangerous places to live today than they were in the past. This would include such things as acts of terrorism, the threat of nuclear war, and increased health risks. There is a biblical reason for the hit-and-miss phenomena in regard to the stresses within and among nations, and the frequency of catastrophic natural disasters. We have reached the juncture in human history wherein the end-time prophecies of Jesus have overlapped our generation. The prophetic clock is ticking (Luk 21:10-15). This fact dictates that some of our prayers will receive glorious answers while others might fail to change specific world situations. No degree of warfare intercession can undo the calamities that Jesus said were inevitable. Jesus urged that we should pray that we would be able to escape these things. He did not say that our prayers would avert them (Luk 21:36). This does not mean that we should stop praying for our governments and the measure of peace sufficient to give us liberty to proclaim the Gospel. It simply means that we must not become disillusioned by occasions when such prayers appear to be of no avail.
But We’ve Been Trained as His Warrior-bride
The need for believers not only to be aware of spiritual warfare but also to be trained to wage it is prevalent throughout the Body of Christ. Those who do not have an elementary understanding of the reality of their spiritual weapons and the enemy we face are ill-equipped to live fruitful Christian lives. At the same time, there are some groups that overstate these truths and continually emphasize that God is now building and preparing an army for the end-time battles to come.
This view is problematic in several ways. The truth is God is not just now building an army. Anyone who has ever been born-again was enlisted from the moment of spiritual rebirth to be a soldier in God’s army. They were also simultaneously called to be members of His Bride, His Body, His family, and the sheep of His pasture. In addition, they are distinctly His workmanship, created to be participants in His governmental assembly (the Church), whose members serve as ambassadors for the kingdom of God.
All Christians are called to all of this inclusively and to no single function exclusively. When any one of these points is overemphasized, people tend to fade under the weight of the same repetitive analogy. The congregations who excessively stress our membership in the warrior-bride company might be refreshed by a furlough wherein they would be reminded of the other functions to which they are called.
It Ain’t Necessarily So
Many groups are militantly trekking through ancient landmarks and waging spiritual warfare. Some believe that most nations are controlled from the heavens by the same spiritual powers that formerly manipulated their ancient civilizations. They insist that the aboriginal powers must be deposed before spiritual victory can be achieved in a given geographical region. This is not necessarily accurate in every situation. On one hand it is legitimate to praise God for victory and to pray for a visitation of the Holy Spirit at diverse locales. If the Spirit dictates, spontaneous episodes of spiritual warfare can also be effective during these sessions. On the other hand, the assumption that the evil spirits that need to be deposed are identical to those of antiquity is seldom a valid assessment.
Initially it was the ruling spirit called the prince of Persia who thwarted the heavenly angel’s journey to answer Daniel’s prayers (Dan 10:13). However, this same angel told Daniel that the prince of Greece would soon have to be reckoned with, as he would be the prince of Persia’s replacement (Dan 10:20). These verses were referring to the Grecian armies of Alexander the Great who occupied Babylon subsequent to the Persian rule. Apparently, there is a changing of the guard with spiritual powers just as there is with earthly administrations. The contemporary themes of sinful behavior endemic to a region reflect the identities of the spirits of darkness that are motivating them. Therefore, when seeking to identify the rulers in the spiritual realm, it may be wise to consider present-day revelations that are backed by contemporary issues rather than the sins of ancient cultures. If spiritual warfare against supposed aboriginal spirits over a region proves ineffective, it is likely that the spiritual diagnosis has been amiss.
Dysfunctional Repentance
During the past decade there has been a renewed emphasis on repentance within the Church. Christian bookstores carry numerous titles relating to nearly every imaginable aspect of repentance. God’s people are expressing contrition in relation to their individual secret sins as well as the bitter unforgiving attitudes that many have harbored against parents, spouses, and others who have wronged them. For the most part this is encouraging, because repentance is a foundational biblical concept. There are, however, several questionable concepts that have been popularized by some within this current wave of repentance. I refer to these as dysfunctional forms of repentance because they do not have sound biblical support and therefore are impotent in achieving the fruit that routinely accompanies repentance. My discussions with other pastors have led me to understand that the erroneous concepts that we are examining do not normally survive the filtering process of the Bible-based logic and spiritual discernment that many mature Christians possess. The following is a basic overview of what is espoused and practiced.
Pastors and itinerant ministers are leading congregations in corporate sessions of repentance for the sins of past generations. The premise is that in order for a city or nation to be healed of its societal woes and relieved of generational curses, its resident Christians should engage in regular sessions of repentance, wherein they identify with the sins of past generations. The gist is that God’s wrath is somehow appeased as Christians identify themselves as responsible for the transgressions of unredeemed society. Some proponents of this teaching encourage their adherents to participate in treks of repentance through historic sites that are noted as points of origin for specific forms of sin that are endemic to a region. It is their assertion that vicarious identification with the sins of antiquity, combined with the renunciation of the curses that are the supposed punishments invoked by them, will liberate contemporary citizens from the propensity to commit those sins. Unfortunately, there are substantial misconceptions that are inherent within this concept of repentance.
Where is the Proof?
There is no objective proof that any revival or the efforts of believers within a society have ever served to permanently transform the morality of a society. There were wonderful revivals in Asia Minor during the apostolic era. They transformed the lives of individuals who found faith in Christ. The societies, however, remained sinful. In more recent times Pensacola, Florida, and Toronto, Canada, have been sites of genuine visitations of the Holy Spirit. Millions of believers have traveled from around the globe to experience what God has been doing in those locations. But, the majority of the citizens of these municipalities are oblivious that something out of the ordinary has occurred. Therefore, most of them continue in the same worldly lifestyles that they had before the visitation.
The pivotal error of the form of repentance in question is the practice of the vicarious identification with and repeated repenting of the sins of past generations. Its companion misconception is that the primary problems of modern societies are inevitably linked to curses that were incurred through the transgressions of ancient societies, which will be covered in a future issue of the JCM newsletter.
An important Distinction
The fact that ancient Israel had a sacral or Church-Sate government was previously mentioned in this article. Its statesmen, priests, and prophets could address and call for repentance in regard to the transgressions that were being committed within the nation of Israel. They had the authority to subsequently cleanse that specific nation of the persons and practices that were offensive to God. When the Jews were captives in foreign lands, the measure of these men’s authority was restricted. The calls for repentance and the authority to enact cleansing policies were applicable only to the Jews as a holy unit unto God. It was understood that they did not have the right to demand the same of the host nations or heathen populations. The Church is in a similar situation. It is needful and mandatory that repentance be preached to enact cleansing for the specific sins of the Church and people within churches. This authority is not extended into the general populations of the nations that we inhabit. This is because the Church is a holy nation residing within unholy nations. For example, it is legitimate for Christians to repent for the pedophilic pastors that have been permitted to remain in ministry within their specific denominations. It is their right to demand that these repent. If they do not, they can be defrocked and excommunicated. However, Christians do not have the right to demand that unsaved fornicators repent and to excommunicate them from their respective nations if they do not change their ways. We can lovingly entreat them to repent of all sins and be born again. When they comply and we permit them to continue in unchecked fornication, then, and only then, can we claim any measure of culpability for their behavior.
Repetitive Repentance
There are only three biblical examples of individuals identifying a living generation with the sins of past generations along with their own current transgressions. They were Ezra, Nehemiah, and Daniel (Ezra 9:5-15, Neh 1:4-10, Dan 9:1-19). In each situation, the prayers of repentance were cited in the Bible only one time. There is no indication that Ezra or Nehemiah subsequently led the people in additional sessions of repentance over the same issues. Daniel offered his prayer on a single occasion. In each instance, the repentance applied singularly to the sins of Israel as the Lord’s redeemed people. There is no evidence that any of these prophets required those who were in covenant with Jehovah to identify themselves as culpable before God for the numerous sins of those not in covenant who inhabited the foreign communities in which they resided. They did not assume the posture that taking responsibility for the sins of the heathen would facilitate the cleansing of those outside of the covenant as well as those within it. Jeremiah instructed the Lord’s people dwelling among the heathen to bless them and their cities. He promised that as they did so, both would benefit as mutual recipients of the Lord’s blessings (Jer 29:5-8). The implications are that God’s redeemed people can prosper in the environment of any nation, regardless of the depths of the past or present sins of its general population.
The repentance of the Israelites under Ezra pertained specifically to the sin of intermarrying with people who were not Jewish. The reason they needed to repent was that they were still committing this sin in Ezra’s day. Their repentance was secured as they put away their heathen spouses (Ezra 10:1-5).
We are Not Obligated
Contemporary believers should not feel obligated to enter continuous episodes of repentance for the sins of the unsaved that lived in our respective nations in ancient times. We are the citizens of a holy nation who serve as ambassadors in the midst of unredeemed societies (2Co 5:20). There are no biblical precedents indicating that there is a need for us to identify with their sins as though we were culpable for them. The cultures of the nations in which the early apostles established churches were steeped in a continuum of hundreds of years of aberrant sexuality and idolatry. There are no New Testament accounts of the apostles leading newly converted Gentiles through the ancient pathways of Asia Minor to repent of those practices on behalf of their fellow countrymen. The leaders of the Jerusalem church did not request that Jewish Christians repent before the descendants of the Canaanites and ask forgiveness for the genocide that their forefathers had committed against them.
Back to Basics
In regard to repentance, we should return to the basics of what the word implies. Repentant people express sorrow to God and to those whom they have harmed. They subsequently will cease from committing the same transgressions. Whenever applicable, the repentant should endeavor to make restitution to those who have incurred losses as a result of their offenses (Luk 19:8).
There is finality in biblical repentance because it liberates the guilty from the weight of sin and the wounded from the burden of bitterness. For this to be accomplished, there should be certain factors present in the equation. There must be an offense and a guilty party who has the authority to express sorrow for the offense and a desire to correct his offensive behavior. Ideally, the one who has been offended will release the offender through some form of forgiveness. For instance, during the Holocaust, the official stand of the Catholic Church was anti-Semitic in that it did not enact policies that could have protected the Jews by forbidding Catholics from aiding and abetting the Nazis. Pope John Paul II, in his capacity as the leader of the Catholic Church, repented of this to official representatives of the Jewish people. They, in turn, acknowledged that his act of repentance had been noted. The Protestants of Europe and America were guilty of the same offense, but it would be difficult for them to attain the same level of recognized repentance, as there is no single authorized leader who can speak for them as a whole. Many intercessors are caught in the mire of repenting for the sins of those whom they do not have the authority to represent.
Who Done It
The European immigrants and their descendants that inhabited America between 1600-1890 committed great injustices to the Indians by nearly annihilating them and toward Blacks by enslaving them. It is legitimate for believers to express personal empathy for the hardships that these races have historically endured. It is appropriate for individual believers and churches to express sorrow to them on a personal level for past injustices and un-Christian behavior. This could do much to heal race relations and to build the self-esteem of those who have been demeaned. There is a vast difference between appropriate personal empathy and the concept that God is requiring us to repent of sins in which we never actually engaged. The latter is ridden with some untenable hurdles.
Those who are being compelled to repent on the assumption that their families’ ancestors personally participated in America’s past sins against people of color might be well served to take the following thought into consideration. Less than 30% of our citizens can trace their ancestries back to the period of American history when slavery was legal and the Indians were being systematically annihilated. In reality, most of our nation’s current population is comprised of people whose ancestors immigrated after slavery and the Indian wars ended. In addition, both of the offended groups incurred losses. The Blacks lost the financial, business, and real estate holdings that they potentially might have inherited had their ancestors not been enslaved. The Indians lost their tribal lands. Repentant Christians lack both the authority and the resources to follow through with restitution for these losses.
Plenty to Repent About
However, there are legitimate matters for which contemporary Christians and churches do need to repent. Racism against minorities does exist in our hearts and our churches. We have insulted the Indians by continually treating them in a condescending manner. Churchmen have perceived them as a mission field but seldom have acknowledged that they have been anointed to minister anything to us. Many denominations have dismissed the worth of women’s spiritual giftings and restricted them to home and hearth. Individuals from divorced backgrounds have been similarly discounted from spiritual vocations. We, as the Lord’s representative, like the Jews of the prophet Joel’s day, have brought reproach to His nature and purposes before an unbelieving world. It would be good for churches to call solemn assemblies wherein the participants allow God to touch their hearts with inspired weeping and repentance. This would be appropriate due to our own generation’s sinful attitudes and actions rather than for the transgressions of past generations (Joel 2:15-17).
The church of Corinth and the seven churches that were called to repentance in the opening chapters of the book of Revelation exemplify this. All can be forgiven and alleviated through a single session of repentance that is coupled with a change in behavior (2Co 7:9-12, 12:20-21). Our forgiveness and cleansing will not be better affected by repetitious times of repentance (1Jo 1:9, Mat 6:7). Repetition is appropriate only when a repentant person backslides into his previous behavior.
Conclusion
If my assessment is correct, it does not infer that Christians should refrain from waging spiritual warfare and interceding in prayer in regard to critical international affairs. It by no means signals that journeys to historical landmarks for the purpose of prayer are of no value. To the contrary, all of these matters can be conducted in a manner that falls within the context of legitimate biblical practices. All that is required is that those involved make alterations to their spiritual perspectives. Refrain from repetitious repenting. Do not take swings at powers in the heavenlies unless there is reasonable evidence that what you are targeting is the culprit manipulating worldly affairs. Please do make pilgrimages to sites that need the Lord’s visitation. In my opinion one of the most effective ministries in this regard is that of Georgian and Winnie Banov. This delightful couple organizes celebrations of exuberant praise and worship at various sites around the globe. Fellow travelers are given the opportunity to minister to the Lord in locations that often have been void of such for centuries. The powers of darkness are vanquished as pilgrims bear witness to the Gospel through testimonies with accompanying signs and wonders (Luk 10:17-21). Evil principalities are bound by the chains of the high praises of the Lord’s ambassadors of the Kingdom’s glorious light (Psa 149). For additional information, visit the Banov’s website at http://www.riverlution.net/
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