Copyright 2011 @ Theresa Harvard Johnson
Many of God’s people are continuing to live a hidden, defeated life. A person can truly be saved AND STILL BE DEFEATED.
To be defeated as we discuss it hear means to be hindered in success and prosperity in one’s soul and life; to be blocked from walking in destiny and accessing purpose; to be prevented in obtaining peace or victory in any given situation or circumstance; or to have one’s purposes constantly end in frustration or to be voided out. For Father’s purposes in this teaching, I want you to look at a defeated life from the perspective of allowing the kingdom of darkness to SUBDUE your victory in Messiah, Yahshuah… our Jesus.
The Vision
As I pondered this today, I had a vision of a man of God clothed in an array of brightness, praising the Lord. I was in this vision and was walking toward him. As I did, I began to see holes and tears in certain parts of his multicolored garment. I knew immediately that the many colors represented the many gifts, talents and blessings that the Lord had showered over him. Yet, some tears and the holes were still there.
These holes and tears were not obvious to the naked eye, but they were there just the same. In my spirit, I knew that this “hiddeness” represented deep places buried within his soul. One tear in particular was on the garment covering his forehead. Because of the grooves in the material, it was hard to see.
Upon closer inspection, I realized that these tears or holes were actually hidden. It was then that the Lord began to speak: “Prophet, many of my people are walking around defeated. Because of the things many see them doing or perceive them to do in my name — these areas of defeat are camouflaged, hidden from obvious view. There are areas in their lives that I have given them great breakthrough and freedom in beloved, but there are even greater doors of breakthrough and freedom in which they have been unable to walk through. They get only so far… and then they give up at the threshold of breaking. They give in to the oppression of their minds. Fear has them bound, but it is a giving-up-kind-of-fear. It is a quenching-fear, a progress-hindering fear. They are accepting defeat at the very threshold of the door that I am presenting before them. Beloved, all they have to do is walk through. Tell them…”
As quickly as it came, the vision was gone.
The Understanding
People of God, I actually saw the tip-toes of this man (who represented the people of God) at the very edge of the door. It was like his toes were touching it, but he just couldn’t cross over to enter in. I knew with everything in me that an “uncommon” freedom and long awaited victory rested on the otherside. But it was like the HARDER THE LORD PUSHED, the more the man (the people he represented) resisted. This stronghold was ancient, and powerful…
Lord knows I wish I could paint a picture of what I saw in this vision. This man WAS SO CLOSE and I thought to myself, “What if I could push him through the door?” And Father said, “My sent ones have been pushing them forward! But they have reached a point where THEY MUST GO ALONE! This is something they must do to get understanding, and to bring metamorphosis – full transformation – to their lives.” Pastors, spiritual parents, leaders …. that was for you. Father is saying, “YOU cannot make them go. You can only lead as allowed…”
Defeat is coming at the minds of these people so profoundly. Many of these areas of defeat are GENERATIONAL and have traveled down through family lines. They live among the lies that declare:
- They just couldn’t do it.
- It was too hard.
- It didn’t work out the first time.
- They had never done this before.
- They weren’t feeling well.
- They weren’t smart enough.
- They weren’t cut our for this.
- Somebody else did it better.
- I’m scared.
- I need someone to walk with me through this.
- I can only do it this way.
There is even a place in them in which laziness sets in…. and what they DO manage to get done, it’s done half way or out of a slothful spirit. In other words, their best is not given because of that “quenching-fear”… and that hidden desire to give-up. People of God, the LIES JUST KEPT COMING!
What Father wants us to see here is that many of those who are living in DEFEAT are really at the threshold of breaking through. YET, they have reached a pivitol place in their overcoming process in which they must press pass this “present obstacle.” This deliberate act of RESISTING DEFEAT, THIS SIMPLE ACT OF FOLLOW-THROUGH, THIS SIMPLE PUSH THROUGH ALL THE LIES AND EXCUSES will PUSH THEM PASS the threshold… and into the place of victory…
Immediately, Father took me to Numbers 13:29-33 AMP, “29 The Amalekites live in the Negev; the Hittites, Jebusites and Amorites live in the hill country; and the Canaanites live near the sea and along the Jordan.” 30 Then Caleb silenced the people before Moses and said, “We should go up and take possession of the land, for we can certainly do it.” 31 But the men who had gone up with him said, “We can’t attack those people; they are stronger than we are.”
People of God, if you are struggling in this “defeated” place, Father wants to heal you and BREAK YOU FREE. The Messiah, Yahshuah… our Christ is the CALEB who came to save you. He is the one who has given you the KEYS to the Kingdom. He has even surrounded you with pastors, spiritual parents and mentors in your life to say, “GO! POSSESS THE LAND!”
He’s placed everything around you to BREAK that defeated MIND which tells you, “I can’t go forward in this thing before me! I’m not READY YET! I’m not this and I’m not that!” And He is saying that many have gone around to other people SPREADING A BAD REPORT about themselves and the task at hand…. POURING A SPIRIT OF DEFEAT & DISCOURAGEMENT ON THOSE all around them.
People of God, this must stop! This is not the character of Messiah in you! This is not HIS WORD in you coming alive!
32 And they spread among the Israelites a bad report about the land they had explored. They said, “The land we explored devours those living in it. All the people we saw there are of great size. 33 We saw the Nephilim there (the descendants of AnaRefk come from the Nephilim). We seemed like grasshoppers in our own eyes, and we looked the same to them.”
You see, these men were defeated LONG BEFORE Caleb came along. They could not SEE the VICTORY in what was ahead. All they could see was the obstacles in the way. They could only see THEIR ABILITY to overcome these obstacles. They couldn’t even SEE that it was GOD who would carry them — not themselves.
It is time to identify those places in YOUR OLD SELF that keeps you seeing yourself as a grasshopper, talking like a grasshopper, ACTING LIKE a grasshopper and THINKING like a grasshopper? What is it in you that causes you to PORTRAY YOURSELF as a grasshopper BEFORE OTHERS? Grasshoppers live in the realm of “I Can’t.” Our Messiah DOES NOT STAND in that place!
Your pastor can pray for you. Your mentor can stand in agreement with you. Your husband can lay hands on you. Your spiritual parents can prophesy GREATNESS over your life! But none of those things matter if YOU are not willing to walk out and into all that is required of you. PRAYER CAN BRING YOU TO THE THRESHOLD… But only your decision to ACT on what is revealed in prayer can bring you victory.
I know that class is hard that you’re taking in graduate school right now, but PRESS THROUGH! Yes, that spouse might not be lined up right now but you must be obedient to the Lord and PRESS THROUGH! I know it looks like there is no hope for that son or daughter, BUT DO WHAT GOD HAS COMMANDED YOU TO DO — even if causes you to cry! I know you may not want to open your mouth and CRY OUT for help — but if God says do it… then DO IT!
I don’t know what is blocking you from crossing the THRESHOLD! But I do know God is able, and that some breakthroughs are only made complete through our obedience. When we resist the OLD PATTERN CALLED THE DEVIL… that stronghold will go IN JESUS NAME!
People of God, you do not have to live a defeated life! Father is a redeemer of time and of all things! A late start… is better than NO START AT ALL…{jcomments on}
