The Jezebel
In II Timothy 2, Paul said to Timothy, "Consider what I say; and the Lord give thee understanding in all things." And that is my prayer for you today in the things God is pressing out of my spirit to share. I am going to overcome some things by the blood of the Lamb and the word of my testimony, and love not my life unto death. Amen.
I have been pressing harder than ever these past few weeks to overcome this Jezebel spirit and put more of this spirit under my feet. The pressure has been incredible, and I have had just about all of this spirit I want, and I told the Lord so and meant every single word I spoke to Him. I said, "I have been fighting this spirit day and night for the past 10-11 years, and the resistance, pressure and affliction this spirit has put on me is enough. Now it is time for you to stand up and fight for me, and rid this spirit completely out of my life by whatever it takes. Because you are going to perform the words you have spoken to me, and these wicked spirits and wicked people that have opposed me are going to get out of the way." You may be saying, "You are one hard person." Well, they said about Jesus, too, and He is my example. If you get sick of something long enough, you will do anything you can to overcome. And that is where I am this day.
Quite frankly, I am sick and tired of these hindering spirits. And the gospel is the power of God to deliver me from every hindering influence - right? Right! It is never God that holds back blessings and I know that. When God asked me several years back if I wanted what He had spoken to me His way or mine, without any hesitation I said His way. Because I could read that all His ways are perfect and all His works are done in truth (through the gospel). And His perfect way has been for me to overcome this Jezebel spirit. And I have given it everything I've got. But now it is time for Him to move on my behalf and I am standing up to Him to do so.
Jesus was always confronting wicked spirits in wicked people. And that is what I have observed over all the years that I have been with this ministry with Doyle. Most of these spirits he is constantly confronting are in and with people. But the devil will tell you, "Now remember, it is not a person." Well, I am sick and tired of the devil quoting that to me. Jesus called people vipers, serpents and hypocrites and He is my example. And whatever it takes for me to share, by the Spirit of God, I am going to do so to overcome.
The other night at church Doyle was talking about physicians and medicine - all being witchcraft and sorcery. And he said some things about my stepfather being a physician. I am going to go on with some things I believe are right in the spirit to share regarding my mother and stepfather. I have shared these things with Doyle before, but never openly. But I believe it is right in the spirit to do so today.
One thing I will begin by saying, is my mother and stepfather were both bound by the Jezebel spirit and walked in it, as have most, if not all people. But there really was not a chance for their marriage to make it because of that spirit, and because of neither of them knowing anything about wicked spirits and the power of God being able to deliver them. He divorced my mother back in '86, I believe.
But the only way for any marriage to be a marriage that God intended it to be, will be for both of you to overcome that spirit within yourself, as well as your mate. It will not be a one way street, because every single one of us have been, and may still be, bound by this spirit. Don't ever think that you have arrived to where someone may not have a degree of that spirit to overcome in you, and I do not exclude myself by any means. Amen!
Anyway, I am going to begin by telling you how they met and how their relationship began, and this is for my overcoming. As a matter of fact, I have overcome to be able to share all of this. I may be wrong, but I believe that God (or maybe I should say, He let the devil) put us in that situation for a purpose - and that purpose was for ME. (Which may sound like pride, may even be pride, but I'll let God be the judge.)
But we were members of White Rock Methodist Church in Dallas, and had been for years, as well as my grandparents - my mother's parents. Back in July of '72, my mother and I (and maybe my sister's were with us that day) were walking down the front stairs of the church after the Sunday morning service. The pastor of the church would always go to the outside of the church when it was over and greet all the people. (Maybe this is typical of Methodist preachers!) But as we were leaving and walking out, there was a man standing there talking to the preacher and pointing his finger at us. You could tell he was asking the preacher who we were - or rather who my mother was. As we were later told, Dr. Minga (who was the preacher) told him, "Well, that is Mr. and Mrs. Thornhill's daughter" - and gave him my mother's name. Dr. Minga happened to know my grandparents pretty well, and would on occasion go out to their farm and visit them. So Dr. Minga, at the request of the man who was pointing his finger at us, set it up for my mother and him to meet.
After my mother and dad divorced, mother had never dated or even shown any interest in wanting to. She had a very busy life teaching school, taking care of three kids, plus all of her projects she always had going on. She was never one to sit still - and at the age of 70, she still isn't. I believe I remember her saying, though, that as the years went by, one day she did pray and tell the Lord that if He wanted to put a companion in her life that would be fine with her - and however long after that before this incident took place, I don't remember.
Looking back, I think it is interesting how this came about. But Ken saw a woman that he thought was very attractive and one that he could 'show off' and that would fit well at all his social gatherings, and wanted her. And that is exactly what happened. He 'swept my mother off her feet' and she loved it. And when he was through with her, that was it. But like I stated earlier, they were both bound by the Jezebel, and this spirit operating in both of them drove them apart as the years went by.
My mother had ended up during the early years of their marriage getting involved in some women's bible studies, and these religious Jezebel spirits took her over even more than what she was already bound with. And Ken being a physician, being in sorcery and witchcraft, was bound by these spirits as much, if not more so. And like I said, unless you are walking in the Spirit, and overcoming these spirits that have you both bound, your marriage is doomed already - it really isn't even a marriage. It is just two people living together under one roof.
And it does not matter how 'godly' you think your marriage is, the only 'godly' marriage there is, is one that God has put together by His Spirit where you both have overcome the powers of darkness that rule both of your lives. When you get to that place - then you will have a 'godly marriage' and then you will have heaven on earth. And God can take a marriage in the flesh and make it one after the Spirit, if he so desires. He can also split one up. Read what the Spirit of God did in Ezra (chapter 10) and with the prophets Nehemiah (chapter 13) and Jeremiah (chapters 6 and 8). And Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever. And in Romans 15 it says that the things written aforetime were written for our learning.
Anyway, continuing on - Ken had three daughters and one son, and then with me and my two sisters that made six girls and one boy. And the one boy was the 'king' of the house. If my mother ever said one negative thing to his son, such as he needed to clean his room, or do this or that, there would be a rage or explosion come out of his dad's mouth to my mother. She finally learned to keep her mouth shut and not confront him on anything in a negative manner. I came to see, years later, that this was nothing but the Jezebel (sorcery) in this man that would explode if you said something he didn't like about his kids, and especially his son. The oldest daughter he had was much like a 'wife' to him. He would always talk about his business with her and the day's goings on and exclude my mother from these conversations. My mother never knew anything about his business as long as they were married. And I know that there are two sides to every coin, except when you are walking in the Spirit - and then there is just one. And in that one - Jesus is always right. Amen!
This spirit was in operation on both sides, no doubt, and I remember once telling my mother, in front of everyone in that house, that she was nothing but a hypocrite. I had had enough, and it might have been nothing but the flesh in me that spoke it, but it came right up out of my heart. I was pretty much a person who would speak things out, especially if I had had enough, and tell you what I thought (at least with my family - and there have been times when I wish I could have had that kind of 'guts' with other people). But my family was, and is pretty much that way. We were not afraid to speak to one another. God has purified enough of my emotions now, though, that unless God wants me to speak something, or there is something in my heart that I am overcoming and it comes out, I pretty much keep my mouth shut and bridle my tongue and pray.
But there is an anger of the Lord, too, because He said was grieved and angered at the hardness of some hearts. And I went through a period of time several years back where I did not know if that anger that would come up in me was God or me, because I knew in the flesh I could get angry. But if I was walking in the Spirit, I had to trust that it was God in me. And most of the time that anger has been over this Jezebel spirit.
I came to see another side of this Jezebel spirit that is so subtle, deceitful and smooth and will speak so nice about you and make you think how nice it is, when in fact it is described in Psalm 55. "The words of his mouth were smoother than butter, but war was in his heart: his words were softer than oil, yet were they drawn swords." And that is a side of the Jezebel most people would not believe - unless God brings you face to face with it. Someone who 'explodes' would be no problem for most people to acknowledge being the Jezebel, it's just the smooth, nice and controlled, subtle ones they would crucify you over saying is the Jezebel.
There is a girl (or maybe I should say lady), at Water of Life who is on the internet. I was reading her testimony a while back on "Threshing the Jezebel", and it did encourage me. Her name is Tiffany Sifford. She does have some understanding of this spirit for sure, and I appreciate and respect the Spirit of God in her. And I was not intending to say that, but God was. I have no respect for the flesh, whether it be mine or yours or any one else's, but I try to respect the Spirit of God in people and any that is lacking in me, God will deal with my heart on that I am sure.
Anyway, my dad was like the rest of us, in that he spoke what he thought and would tell you so. The lady he married was a very nice, smooth, subtle, controlling person. They met at a sales convention (and it might have been in Louisiana, where she is from. I'm not sure, though) where my dad had a booth set up and she happened to walk up to his booth and they both started talking. She later told us (me and my two sisters) that dad was right up front with her and had no hesitation telling her that he was divorced and had three daughters and pulled out our pictures and showed them to her. She is just a few years older than my older sister. She was the oldest of seven children. So there was about twenty years or so age difference between them, although she did fit well with my dad. But I always had a problem about their age difference, and it was nothing but self righteousness in me. And obviously they did too, because they lied and told her parents my dad was younger in age than he was, and they lied to us and told us she was older in age than she really was. It all came out (accidentally) years later. But I came to see, after reading somewhere in the Psalms, that age is nothing to God.
But she came from a very strong Baptist family. I remember her telling us (me and my sisters) that before they married she put a 'fleece' out before they Lord, and it worked and that is how she knew it was right to marry my dad. I had never heard of such a thing and still don't know much about it. And I'll leave it at that, although I will say it probably was not God, but He can correct my heart if that is wrong.
But she was a person who would (and probably still does) control everything and everyone she could get her hands on. And I love her, but that is the truth. I never saw her 'down' a day I was around her. She was always pleasant and smiling and very nice. But I came to see that the only 'nice' there is, is to obey God. And people won't think you're too 'nice' when you do that! She was probably one of the stronger Jezebel women I had been around. I was never really comfortable around her and never knew why. But I was one that she could not control and I took much heat from my family because of it on why 'I didn't get along with her or not like being around her'.
Not until years later, after coming to Water of Life and God opening my eyes to the Jezebel, did I see that it was that spirit in her that couldn't control me, and that is what made everyone always on my case saying to me, "Why don't you like her - she is so nice and would do anything for you!" They would try to condemn me and make me feel guilty, because she was so nice. But that is the deceit of this spirit and how it will operate - be so nice and do anything for you, just so it can control you. And I have never been one that you could easily control. And people that have wanted to and couldn't, have had a real struggle with me.
And I have shared in previous testimonies that my dad died in February 1984. They had been married almost 11 years and had a son who was five years old when dad died. She later remarried, then divorced and moved to Georgia. Her son, who is my half brother, is 20 years old and goes to college at SMU (Southern Methodist University) in Dallas. I rarely see him, but I believe one of these hours God will convert him and deliver him from the Jezebel. Praise God!
But anyway, there was just always something there in this situation and I now know that it was the Jezebel. Looking back, I am sure it was God in me even back then, standing up to this spirit and keeping an arm's distance between her - because everyone else was pretty much 'putty' in her hands. And I am sure I am overcoming some more of this spirit by writing this. But like I said, I am sick and tired of this spirit and I am going to overcome it until it is under my feet. I believe if there was ever a spirit I hated with a perfect hatred - it's the Jezebel. Because this spirit has given me fits and pressured me for especially the past 10 or so years, since walking against it. But I am overcoming it and coming out!
A year ago this past December God spoke to me and told me He was going to bring me out from under the burdens and oppression this spirit had put on me for these past several years - because that is when I started walking against this spirit and resisting it in faith. About a couple of month's ago the Spirit of God spoke to my spirit a scripture that is in Luke 18 about the woman and the unjust judge. I knew right where it was when He spoke it to me. She continually came to him asking him to avenge her of her adversary, and he would not. But after a while he said he would, lest by her continual coming she weary him. And the Lord said, "And shall not God avenge his own elect, which cry day and night unto him, though he bear long with them? I tell you that he will avenge them speedily." And my adversary has been the Jezebel, and I have cried day and night unto God, and He said to me, "I will avenge you, and when I do it will be speedily." And I am past ready!
You know, it doesn't matter who we are, where we've been, what we have attained in this world, or anything else for that matter - we have all been bound by the Jezebel spirit, and may still be. In Jeremiah 17, God said every heart is deceitful and desperately wicked. And until God delivers you and you overcome and purify your heart and soul by faith, you will remain bound by that spirit, as well as other spirits.
When I first heard of the Jezebel back in '85, I said "I know I've got that spirit." And you know what? God started dealing with it in my life shortly thereafter. If you can't see this spirit in yourself first, then you never could see it. But I could see how this spirit had operated in me throughout my entire life, and it then became more and more clear to see all around me. And looking back over my life plus all the situations that took place with my mother, dad, stepmother and stepfather, I came to see this spirit in operation without a doubt. And once my eyes got opened to its' many facets, this spirit couldn't, and doesn't, fool me. But by the mercy and grace of God I am overcoming it, and I will be so thankful when it is under my feet.
Several years back God ministered to my heart out of I Kings 21 about the woman Jezebel. And this past Sunday morning (5-23-99) while we were worshipping God, He started bringing this up in my spirit to write this in this testimony.
But there was a woman named Jezebel. Her husband, Ahab, wanted a man's inheritance, named Naboth. But Naboth said, "The Lord forbid that I should give mine inheritance to you." And this made Ahab sad and heavy. So he told his wife, Jezebel, about this and she stepped in and told him not to be sad, but to arise and be merry, because she said, "Since you govern the kingdom of Israel, I will give you his inheritance." She said, 'I'll take away his inheritance and give it to you." Notice, she wasn't the one sad - she said 'arise and be merry'. (And that is a side of this spirit that most people don't see.) So anyway, she had false witnesses come forth and had Naboth stoned so Ahab could have his inheritance. And that is how this spirit will operate - it is one covetous spirit. Plus it will bear false witness and kill. All a part of the ten commandments. So the law is definitely associated with this spirit.
That is exactly what this spirit has wanted to do to me - cut off my inheritance that God promised me 12 years ago. But you know what? That will never happen, because that spirit has already been judged and Jesus made an open shew of it, triumphing over it. And no spirit or man can stay the hand of God. Praise God.
This has been one tough spirit to overcome, and one that I never could or would have imagined existed. But by the mercy and grace of God I am overcoming it. I just know the patience (continuance) and longsuffering (to suffer long or patiently endure) that I have had worked out in my heart towards this spirit in overcoming it. Because you will do some suffering when you take this spirit on. Just had no idea it would take this long. But I thank God for his mercy and grace, and that He is well able to bring me into the land, and into seeing the manifestation of the fulness of the blessing of the gospel. Amen.
It was interesting, because a week or so ago I was talking to my mother over the phone just about overcoming in prayer, and about the amount of prayer it had taken to get out of that apartment. And I said how I was in the same situation right now in overcoming. She said something to the effect, "Well, what is it you're wanting now?" I said, "Mother, I am going to have everything God has for me, and that is the fulness of the blessing of the gospel in my life." And she just shut up and never said another word. That spirit knows I am going to obtain every thing God has spoken to me, and it doesn't like it one bit. Neither do the things in her heart. Although she would tell me she is for me. But I have had more than one tell me that, and it was nothing but a lie. But you know what? Jesus is greater than every wicked spirit and wicked person.
God says that the work He has begun in us, He will finish, or complete it unto the coming of the Lord Jesus. And I have complete confidence that He will perfect (or complete) that thing that concerns every one of us. I know if God be for us, no one can be against us. If God were not for you in this walk, it is definitely one you would not want to be in. But thank God He is!
Well, until next time - God Bless You ~
