confronting the Gates of hell (part 1)

A good General does not just go to battle, before he embarks on any battle, he takes time to study and understand the enemy he is going to confront.  In the same way, you must study the enemy and understand what you are about to confront.

The first gate of hell is the gate of Idolatry. Idolatry is worship of the creature instead of the Creator.  It is a form of distortion or perversion of true worship.  You must understand that the devil knows the place of worship and he desires to be worshiped.  Anything you place side by side God in your heart is an idol; it could be your career, business, relationships, houses etc.  It does not have to be above God for it to become an idol.  God wants to be one and only in your life.  No one can serve God and mammon.

Idolatry is using God to get things – this is modern day idolatry. Many people go to God not out of a purposeful relationship but because of what they can get.

Idolatry is loving things more than you love God. Materialism – the love of acquisition, loving “toys” and using God to acquire them.  Modern day idolatry is the love of money and the Bible says that it is the root of all evil.  Whoever loves money can do anything to get it.  Idolatry is a direct violation of the first commandment of God. Exodus 20:2-6. Every idolater hates God.  This is how God sees it; it makes people to become enemies of God.  How/Where do you place God in the scheme of things? What is the value of your G-connection (God connection)?  Worship is about value; God checks your priorities.  You cannot love God and be passive about the things of God; whatever you love more is an idol.

Idolatry constitutes a major blockade to God’s blessing, it makes the heavens to close, and it makes the rains to cease.  Wherever there is idolatry, there is extreme poverty, sickness, inexplicable delays, accident, blockade etc.

Idolatry brings generational curses. Exodus 20:5.  God, in His infinite wisdom, punishes idolatry to four generations.  Anywhere there is idolatry, there will be corruption.  Why? Idolatry is corruption/perversion of worship.  It opens gateway for demons to operate freely.  Your ear is a natural gateway to your soul so you must be careful about the kind of songs you listen to.  Every song has a spirit!

Every idolater is an enemy of God.  Ezekiel 14:1-11. Idolatry estranges people from God – separation from God.  The strongest weapon for confronting idolatry is repentance. One of the greatest prayers we must pray regularly is Jeremiah 14:20-22 – repentance from the scourge of idolatry.  It is folly to pursue the gods that have not made the heavens and earth and expect the heavens to open.

Idolatry is a gateway to hell – Revelations 21:8.  The worst gate ever is anything that can shut you out of heaven.  The essence of gates is to control what goes out and comes in.  Anything that blocks your access to God is your greatest enemy.  Remember that your greatest asset is your access.  There are about four classification of gates – gate as a place, gate as a personality, gate as a spirit and gate as a realm.

Matthew 18:18 tells us that whatever gate you shut is shut.  You are in your family to be a gatekeeper.  Make sure that only the blessings of God enters and no evil penetrates.  Who is at the gate of your family house?  Anything you cannot forgo to do the will of God is an idol.

PRAYERS

1. Thank God who has made ample provision for our well-being. Thank Him for giving us the power to overcome the power of the enemy.  Thank Him for His word that He will build His Church and the gates of hell shall not prevail over us.
2. Repent of every idol in your heart. Ask God to have mercy and forgive you of every idol you have ever placed side by side Him in your heart.
3. Pray – Lord, search through my family/lineage and blot out every record of idolatry, uproot and destroy the root of idolatry in my family, blot out every generational idolatry, wash us and purge us with the precious blood of your dear Son, Jesus Christ.
4. Raise the blood of Jesus Christ against every record of idolatry working against the purpose of God in your life, family.
5. Renounce every claim of idolatry over your life, family.
6. Re-dedicate your life to God.
7. Plead the blood of Jesus Christ.
8. Stand upon the word of God in Gal. 13:13-15 and declare your total liberation from the curse of idolatry. Declare the blessings of Abraham through the finished work of our Lord and Savoiur Jesus Christ.  There shall be no more curse in my life, family, lineage.  I declare total liberation.  Satan has no unsettled claims over us.
9. As far as the east is separated from the west, so the blood of Jesus Christ of Nazareth separates me and my family from every curse of idolatry in the Name of Jesus.