JEZEBEL - A Personal Testimony
JEZEBEL
Testimony by: Pastor Carolyn Sissom
Sunday Evening Service
May 29, 2011
1 Kings 21:25: “But there was none like unto Ahab which did sell himself to work wickedness in the sight of the Lord, whom Jezebel his wife stirred up
I don’t like to give credit to the devil by spending any more time than necessary to teach on one of his demons. I will refer to Jezebel in this teaching as an “it” and not by gender. It seems the Lord wants me to give the testimony of how I put this devil under my feet.
I did not get the victory over this devil’s taunts and evil attacks until a few years ago and only after starting the church in Texas. I have two ladies that helped me fight and win this victory: One was Kathie Walters and the other was Sue Avery.
In earlier years when I came under attack by someone with a mean or wicked spirit, I had the luxury to go into the recluse of my home and hide behind my husband. Don was not intimidated by anyone. Quite the contrary, if it suited him, he was able to intimidate anyone who came across his path.
However, my shyness, timidity and naivety were stumbling blocks for me to be able to serve in the Lord’s Kingdom. I always served in leadership in the denomination I grew up in, but "burn-out" was a stumbling block.
You can imagine what a field day Jezebel had with me especially in the Pentecostal culture which is much more aggressive than the genteel denomination that I grew up in. At least it was genteel when I was growing up. I am sure political Jezebel had strongholds, but I was not a threat to “it” as a child or in my role of serving.
Even as a child, I had discernment of spirits. When I discerned wickedness in someone, I would avoid that person. That became a way of life until my early twenties, and then the avoidance became a snub. It was not the intention of my heart; it was just the way I dealt with mean-spirited people. I don’t want to give the impression that I was weak in every area of my life. I was very strong in ‘standing” in my convictions and was never influenced by evil doers and their evil maneuvers.
I grew up on a farm in Southeast Missouri. I lived a very sheltered life with a genteel father and a mother who was devoted to my father, her home, her children and the farm. I never heard my parents quarrel; there was never any foul language, or alcohol in our home. I lived in peace and knew peace as a child.
I did not experience evil until I was in high school and those rough and tough farm boys were obnoxious pests. Their teasing caused me to pull further into my reclusive shell. I was younger than my peers. I graduated on my 17th birthday. Due to my reclusive life, I became a book-worm and an achiever. This again, I count as a blessing as it kept me out of any rebellion or trouble in my teenage years.
The year I graduated was a bad crop year for farmers, so I went to work for the local bank. In those days, bankers had to live as clean and honorable a life as someone in the ministry. My life was again sheltered from anyone who would mistreat me or be unkind. I was growing up with the upper-class of society in that town and there was never a reason for me to defend myself or be mistreated. I had lots of “friends” who lovingly watched over me, policed me and kept me straight. (Smile) I dated, was popular, respected and had a good life. I had never been in love until:
I met Don Sissom. He was made from a different cloth. He grew up much different than me. He was taught at home to be aggressive, and could hold his own with anyone with a few words and a “look”. I never knew him to get in a physical fight. He didn’t have to. He could back down people with a glare. Amazing as it was to me, people respected him. (Not necessarily people in my circles). The people in my culture were never rude to anyone no matter how rude the other person might be. We were very nice to them; we politely shunned their improper behavior.
I think the reason I fell in love with him was he got my respect and I had never respected anyone else I had dated. So our life began with him fighting the battles and me being sweet and nice, as a good Christian should be. Outside my world of the bank and church, I remained aloof from any unpleasantness. However, my career and the respect that went with it ended when our second child was born. I was no longer part of the business community, but a "housewife". I had lost the "covering" of influence my job afforded me.
I could keep my life clean, but found it was getting much harder to protect my family from the temptation of the seduction of the world and the demons they let in through their lively interests and inquisitiveness. The world outside my rose- covered garden had changed and my children were subjected to the influence of that world as well as my husband.
Through the years and after the Baptism of the Holy Spirit, the Lord began to reveal to me by vision, demons their agendas and personalities how to do spiritual warfare to break the power of demons and their assignments.
I soon learned that when under attack, no matter how much I prayed and bound those devils, it was I who had to take the spirit eye-ball to eye-ball. I had to be able to stand toe–to-toe and tell the loved one who was being abusive, “I don’t love you enough to give you power over me to hurt me.”
Through these battles in my own household, I overcame the abuse of being a doormat for my family whether immediate or extended. I also overcame being a victim of aggressive people. Then the call came to start a church.
This was another training ground to deal with a whole new level of demons. Most that come to a church are looking for Jesus and to be delivered. Many like me were victims of the spirit-of-the-age that was shattering and shaking the family. I had won that victory both in my marriage and with the family. However, others had an agenda and Jezzie was always looking for a ministry to “take-over”.
By the leading of the Holy Spirit, I fought the good fight of faith, but I was still doing some side-stepping from “not-so-nice” saints to keep the peace and unity in the fellowship. I ran into Jezebel numerous times through the years manifesting in jealousy, take-over, control, competition, etc. I managed to nicely and quietly slide “it” out of the path of my life. I graciously dis-fellowshipped the person manifesting. I was in a personal battle to rise above the “idol of jealousy” in the Holy place manifesting against me in any saint. I knew enough about spiritual warfare to know that I must not give it place to influence are affect my feelings or judgments. I was still fighting to over-come the “hurt-feelings” of people being jealous of me. I did break through and am now strong enough to serve the Lord and people without any reaction good or bad by my “feelings” or "thiers" toward me.
However, the story of my family is not the story I am telling today. I am only telling it to give the foundation of why it took me so long to "overcome" and put the workings of this particular devil out of my life.
On return from a ministry trip to Israel in 1997, I came face to face with Jezebel.
Ahab had decided while I was gone that he wanted the church. Jezebel decided to take it over for him.
1 Ki. 21: 1-3: “And it came to pass after these things, that Naboth the Jezrelite had a vineyard, which was in Jezreel, hard by the palace of Ahab king of Samaria. And Ahab spoke to Naboth saying, give me your vineyard, that I may have it for a garden of herbs, because it is near to my house; and I will give you a better vineyard than it; or if it seem good to you, I will give you the worth of it in money. And Naboth said to Ahab. The Lord forbid it me, that I should give the inheritance of my father to you.”
One of the Deaconess’ of the church approached me on my first Sunday back and told me, “Why don’t you go ahead and travel to the nations, and we will take over the church?” I had been fore-warned by a prophet to not give them the church. Prophet Roger Teale told me I was moving to Texas and I would need the church corporation for the work the Lord was sending me to do. He told me to not let “them” have the church and to keep up my corporation.
Without blinking or shedding a tear, I immediately changed the Board of Directors of the Church to a Board of Pastors.
But this is not the story I am telling today. Shortly after that, Don was transferred to Houston. I was exhausted and very tired. My feelings were that I had pastored a church, went to that school, and got that t-shirt. I was content to speak at conferences and travel once a month. That was comfortable.
Then the call came:
On the first day of the service in this church, I had to deal with Jezebel. Again, I quietly stood my ground and didn’t get drawn into the trap. I side-stepped this devil which I had become very adept at doing. I was the new kid on the block of the big city. I did not feel it would profit the Kingdom for me to be drawn into a bad scene made by the devil. The devil likes to make scenes.
The battle before me was the religious spirit over the area that was blocking the ministry of the prophet and of the woman. This was 14-years ago. The prophetic revelation movement had covered the whole earth, but had missed this area due to the strong control the denominations had over the area. I brought in powerful prophets and we had The Veil of the Woman Conference. We broke through at that conference and misplaced some of the folks who were looking to replace me with a man. I had a group of ladies come to the church and point blank ask me to turn the church over to a certain male preacher who was looking for a church. They never returned to the church after the conference. This was in the denominational religious arena.
Still the battle raged, but now with the Charismatic’s. In this arena, the religious spirits were very territorial. I was the new-kid on the block and a threat. If I had not been a threat, the devil would never have messed with me. Why bother with a small church and an insignificant woman? The next year we had The Rose conference and broke through the brass ceiling of resistance in that arena of religious control. Only a few of the local Charismatic ministries embraced us at that time, but the break through was we were still standing after the conference.
I still had Jezebel nipping at my heals; trying to sabotage the ministry and harassing me. However, I was still managing to fly above the traps.
It wasn’t until after the Beyond the Bride Conference, that I was able to totally kick Jezebel out of a position of harassment and a troubler of the Kingdom purposes of this ministry. Kathie Walters also entered my life at that time and her prayers and intervention helped me to push Jezebel back. Also Sue Avery was helping with some heavy intercession. Even at a distance, “it” kept trying, but could not break in to the boundaries that had been put in place.
This does not mean that the devil has stopped his harassment. It simply means that "it" no longer affects me, does not come near me, and I am no longer troubled over "its" evil maneuvers. Whatever it does, it can’t touch me.
This is where the Lord wants all of us to be in our life relationships. If the devil can use someone to trouble you, keep you upset, harass or intimidate, then you do not have the victory over that demon spirit. It still has power over you.
We cannot be passive in dealing with demons.
The years have passed and by the Grace of the Lord, our church fellowship has been given favor with those who know us by the Spirit. We have been faithful to move forward in love, forgiving all, and magnify the Lord Jesus Christ and His Kingdom. The Lord told me when He called me into the ministry, “Never tell a Man of God your gifts and callings, I will tell the ones I want to know.” That totally liberated me from defending or promoting His calling through me.
Bill Yount blessed me recently with encouragement: He said, “Carolyn, because you have stood in your calling, one of two things will happen: Either people will respect you or be jealous of you.” I smiled and replied: “It doesn’t really matter one way or the other.” His reply was, “That is the reason the Lord is going to do it for you is because it doesn’t matter to you.” When we get to the place in the Lord, where what people say or think about us doesn’t touch us, then Jezebel has no more power to affect us.
When the Lord positions His elect, then our relationships are not personal. They should never be personal. If we make it about our “feelings” or “needs”, then the devil will be sure to hit in that area of vulnerability. We are on Kingdom assignment and we must be about our Father’s business.
Political Babylon is marked by greed and evil desire. “Give me your vineyard (church, ministry, wife, money, or other possessions.”) (22:2) Ahab offered another vineyard, or the worth of Naboth’s vineyard in money. The world wants our joy on its conditions. “The Lord forbid that I should give the inheritance of my fathers unto you.” (21:3) This inheritance is our calling and election in the Kingdom of God. Ahab returned to his house heavy and displeased because of Naboth’s refusal. “He laid him down upon his bed, and turned away his face, and would eat no bread.”
Jezebel inquired of her husband’s sadness and was told his story. “Do you not govern the Kingdom of Israel?...I will give you the vineyard of Naboth.” She wrote letters in the name of Ahab, sealed them with his seal, and sent them to Jezreel to the elders and nobles over Naboth. (Jezebel will lie and try to ruin your reputation through slander. “It” does not play nice). Religious Babylon is the real authority behind political Babylon. A fast was proclaimed (religious atmosphere) and Naboth was set on high before the people (21:9). Naboth was falsely accused. He was stoned to death. Ahab stole the vineyard.
This is only one of the modes of operation of Ahab and Jezebel.
I have had people try to get to whoever they might think has "authority" over me and try to use them to get the upper-hand. If they are able to get to the elders and nobles and those elders and nobles listen to Jezebel instead of the Holy Spirit, I consider they have the same motive as Jezzie. They, too, are looking for a crack to "take-over". (Smile)
The line of “take-over” devils looking for a vineyard is at least 1000 deep. Apostle Jerry LaBiche told me one time when I was discussing with him one of these devils’ activities. He said, “That ole’ boy is going to have to get in a long line”. I told the church, I must be smarter than I look, or so many people would not try to trifle with me. (Smile)
Elijah brings judgment. He confronts Ahab. The Elijah ministry prophesies the destruction of political and religious Babylon! (1 Kg. 9:36)
21: 19b-22: “Thus says the Lord, in the place where dogs licked the blood of Naboth shall dogs lick your blood even yours…Behold I will bring evil upon you, and will take away your posterity, …(Vs.23) The dogs shall eat Jezebel by the wall of Jezreel…”
21:25: “But there was none like to Ahab, which did sell himself to work wickedness in the sight of the Lord, whom Jezebel his wife stirred up. And He did very abominably in following idols, according to all things as did the Amorites, whom the Lord cast out before the children of Israel.”
Ahab repented in sackcloth and fasted. This kind of repentance springs not from a hatred of sin, but from a fear of the consequences of sin! But the Lord even honored this! Ahab would die, but the main evil would come in the days of his son.
I was 66 years old before I dealt head on with Jezebel and Ahab. There have been many more battles in the past five years and if the Lord goes with me, we will continue to fight the good fight of Faith for the Kingdom of God. If we are not in a battle for the Kingdom, then let us get out of the battle. There are times I think the universal church is taking steps backward instead of forward. The agenda for “numbers” whether dollars or people seems the driving force in so many ministries rather than salvation, healing, and deliverance administered with no motive except “love”. Numbers and dollars give political and religious power to the Babylonian church system.
This spirit has power in the world systems, but that devil has no power in the Kingdom of God. I made my decision years ago which "power" I would follow after.
I’m not looking for devils. I’m looking to magnify the Lord Jesus Christ. However, there are demonic strong holds and powers that have set themselves against the advancement of the Kingdom of God. I’m just following the Lord of Hosts and watching Him.
The Lord showed me as we go into “The Financial Blessings and Prosperity of the Lord” conference this year, our warfare will be against the charlatans and profiteers of not only Christendom, but of the world systems.
Proverbs 10:22: “The blessing of the Lord, it maketh rich, and He adds no sorrow with it.”
Pastor Carolyn Sissom
Eastgate Ministries,