WHO CAME FIRST?

Many Christians think that San Francisco has demonic powers of homosexuality and lesbianism hovering over the city and keeping those people in bondage. There

probably is a greater concentration of those particular spirits dwelling there than in other places, but how do you deal with them?

The spiritual warfare people try to deal with it through intercessory prayer, spiritual mapping, prayer walks, binding the devil, and other similar kinds of things. That's not the scriptural New Testament model. These demonic powers are really a non-factor, other than the fact that people have yielded to and empowered them. You can't just bind those principalities and command them to depart!

Some Christians think that if you just got rid of the demonic powers, then the people would be set free to respond to the Gospel. That's completely backwards! When the people respond to the truth, the demons will lose their power and leave.

Who came to San Francisco first—the demons or the homosexuals? Some people who were homosexuals, or favored them, were elected to places of power in the government. They passed laws giving special welfare benefits, legal benefits, and other things that made San Francisco attractive to homosexuals. Therefore,

homosexuals from all around the country and the world flocked to San Francisco. There weren't demonic powers already there who drew these people. The homosexuals came and brought their demons with them.

You don't get rid of the homosexual demonic powers by going into the heavenlies and doing battle directly with them. Preach the truth instead. As these people

understand and believe that God loves them and made them Adam and Eve, not Adam and Steve, they'll be set

free. Then they'll resist those devils with the truth, and the entire climate over San Francisco will change.

"THE SOUL THAT SINS SHALL DIE"

I have friends who believe that the United States won't see revival until the atrocities done in the past to the Native Americans are repented of and forgiven. They think we must do "spiritual warfare" to dislodge the demons that came to power over our country through broken

covenants and innocent bloodshed centuries ago. Again, this contradicts New Testament Scripture. You might be able to quote some Old Testament verses, but these concepts don't square with God's Word this side of the Cross. Ezekiel prophesied that every individual would answer for their own sin—and no one else's—under the New Covenant.

What mean ye, that ye use this proverb concerning the land of Israel, saying, The fathers have eaten sour grapes, and the children's teeth are set on edge? [i.e., "generational curse"] As I live, saith the Lord GOD, ye shall not have occasion any more to use this proverb in Israel. Behold, all souls are mine; as the soul of the father, so also the soul of the son is mine: the soul that sinneth, it shall die.

Ezekiel 18:2-4, brackets mine

God doesn't judge children for the sins of their parents today. (Ezek. 18:20.)

There were many terrible atrocities committed against the Native Americans. My wife is a Native American, but she's not carrying around bitterness and harboring hurt

from what happened centuries ago. However, if I met a Native American who was upset at me because of what my great, great, great grandfather did to his people, I'd apologize. It was wrong and shouldn't have happened, but it's not what's holding this man, or anyone else, in

bondage today.

This man stands before God on his own. He's not a product of what happened 300 years ago. Those things might have influenced him, but it's absolutely his choice to choose life or death. If he can understand and believe the truth that Jesus Christ dealt with all sin once and for all at the Cross, forgiveness would set him free. Deception is what keeps us in bondage, and the truth is what sets us tree.

I simply refuse to empower the devil! By saying that revival can't happen until we do all of these things is giving Satan power that he doesn't really have.

EUROPE

Christians have actually retraced the route of the Crusades (back in the eleventh, twelfth, and thirteenth centuries) through Europe. They've done penance and apologized to descendants of people they believed their ancestors hurt centuries ago. They've done all of this believing that Europe will stay in spiritual darkness until this "reconciliation" takes place. Wrong!

What's keeping Europe in spiritual darkness? They haven't heard and believed God's Word! European television channels strictly censor my programs. They often edit my teaching so much that it takes a lot of the power out of it. One time, they bleeped out something I

said about spanking your kids as if it were profanity! I can't say, "Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life." Instead, I have to state, "The Bible says that Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life." I have to present it as an opinion, not a fact. God's Word has been very much hindered in the European airways. It's this lack of the truth of God's Word that keeps Europe in Satan's grasp.

All across Europe, they've passed laws against preaching the Gospel. In France, they've made it illegal to evangelize. If you laid hands on someone and prayed for their

healing, you could be put in jail for practicing medicine without a license. All of these things are against the Gospel. The reason that Europe is staying in the state it's in is because they're not open to the Good News, not because of demonic powers.

Demonic powers are a part of it. They're inspiring people to take those steps. But you can't solve the problem just by doing "spiritual warfare" and binding demons; you must get God's Word into the people!

PREACHING & TEACHING

Christians have spent millions of dollars traveling to some of these least evangelized nations. They go over there and "prayer walk"; that is, they just walk around "binding" spiritual powers. They are specifically told not to witness to anyone—just to pray. If the same amount of money had been spent preaching the Gospel to these unreached people, there'd be revival! This is the wrong approach and it's not working!

This meeting in Ephesus with the 20,000 people who just prayed and did "spiritual warfare" occurred before the

September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. It didn't break the demonic powers operating through Muslim extremists. It never will. This is not the scriptural method of dealing with demonic influence in people's lives.

I'm doing everything I can to get the Word out! We're teaching God's Word on television and radio in America, Europe, and around the world. We distribute thousands of tapes and CDs each year. Many of our materials (i.e., audio messages, articles, and Bible commentary) are available free online. We also support many international Christian workers who are boldly preaching the Gospel. This should be the approach of the entire Church!

Chapter 17