HARRASSING SPIRIT
HARASSING SPIRIT
Sunday Evening service 12/29/2024
Pastor Carolyn Sissom
This week the Holy Spirit moved on me to get out front of a harassing spirit which has plagued me since the Eastgate church was started in Baton Rouge, La. I understood I was not to go into 2025 with this harassing aggravation of people troubling me about who will be the next pastor.
BACK STORY:
I grew up in a denominational church whereby churches were not started by individuals, but through the Presbytery of the organized church. The church charter would be approved by an area Board, not a local Board and established by the corporate denomination.
The idea of an individual starting a church was very foreign to me. The idea of me starting a church was not only foreign but inconceivable. The idea that itinerant preachers would visit a church and offer to “take-over” or pastor an established ministry was inconceivable to my Christian experience.
I started a bible study in the home of Ann Wright. The Lord Jesus visited the Bible Study and started a church. The Holy Spirit named the church, “The Eastgate.” Prophet Roger Teale prophesied that I was to Pastor the church.
My first experience with the “take-over” spirit was a young man in the Bible Study. At first, he as very supportive of the Bible Study, but when I “came to” actually starting a church, he moved forward to try to take it over. He went behind my back to Ann to convince her to turn the Bible Study over to him. She didn’t budge, nor was she deceived.
After seven years, the LORD moved my husband and I to Texas. Prior to the move, I had sent out an end-of-the-year financial statement for a big total of $45,000.00 total gross income. I thought I was just being transparent as well as showing all the naysayers that we were self-supporting and solvent. That financial statement brought in every preacher who was looking to start a church.
Prophet Teale had told me to be sure and take my charter/corporation with me that I would need it in Texas. He also told me they would try to take over the church. They tried! But I had been warned by a prophet.
Fast forward to Texas - The story is well known as how we rented Little White Church. Immediately, a preacher goes behind my back and tries to rent the church from Maudeen Marks. She tells me about it. Then a pastor of a major denomination tries to take it over to turn it into a coffee shop. Another preacher told me “You are good at starting churches, but you are not good at pastoring, let me take over as pastor.”
And so, the church was established in Houston Texas. Over the next 15 years, every time I had a birthday, there was another preacher there ready to take-over the church. After we moved out of Little White Church, we were at Willow Fork Country Club for seven years, no one harassed me about taking over the ministry because they knew they would have to pay the club and it wasn’t a church building.
We were again prophesied into our new church building and location. This time by Apostle Clay Nash. I warned the church that when the building was finished, we would have a stream of itinerant preachers, looking for a church, looking for money, and try to take-over the church. The push has started.
I will be coming into my 85th birthday this year. I expect because I received the message to get out ahead of this harassing spirit, that there will be an increase in this type of aggravation. We have Kingdom work to do and we can’t be wasting time in what the Lord has already established and is keeping.
I don’t intend to deal with the distraction and aggravation by being patient and long-suffering with the harassment.
This morning the LORD spoke to me this is a strong spirit in the Pentecostal culture, more so than in the denominations. The order of the denominations prohibits individuals from taking over churches.
I am not the least concerned about someone taking over this church. That is not a concern of mine. What I am bringing forth tonight is to put an end to the harassment which has followed me around since 1989.
The “Church” is the LORD’S and if he is in it, the gates of Hell will not prevail against it.
Up to this time, I have dismissed and ignored the take-over devils. But it seems it is now time to deal with it.
Acts 19:13-16: Then some of the itinerant Jewish exorcists undertook to invoke the name of the LORD JESUS over those who had evil spirits, saying, “I adjure you by the Jesus whom Paul proclaims, “Seven sons of a Jewish-high priest named Sceva were doing this.
Many in the Pentecostal culture are like the seven sons of Sceva who are believers; but have yet to be appointed by the LORD and given their Kingdom assignment. Therefore, they attempt to usurp the ministry of others.
Many associate themselves with the church for social or financial gain. They are self-deceived who try to use Christianity for worldly gain and pleasures. Many of these people simply use Christianity as a platform for recognition and pre-eminence as in the spirit of Diotrephes.
Did they miss God along the way or have they just not yet come into that glorious vision. Did they choose another path? Or, perhaps, pulled back from standing in their calling.
Let us come along side one another with the diversity of our gifts and callings and fulfill our Kingdom destiny.
Sooner or later the Kingdom vision is sure to be given to those who are faithfully following the Great Shepherd.
“Seek ye first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness.”
This is the first sermon I ever preached. I have never changed my message. This is what I am seeking after.
He who has been known as our Savior and Shepherd becomes manifest to us as our King! The King of Glory. The Messiah-King! How wonderful is this vision of glory to come. We see the Church merging into the manifest power and glory of the Kingdom of God on earth. We learn with amazement that we too are called to share that glory and to reign with Christ in Kingdom power. It is overwhelming.
This morning I preached on David.
The way to David’s destiny proved to be a stormy and tragic pathway. When Samuel’s presence in Jesse’s house brought an astonishing summons to David, he was living a peaceful, worshipful life with his father’s sheep. But his appointment to the Kingdom changed his course.
“The Spirit of the Lord came upon David from that day forward.” The Spirit of God! How revolutionary is His power! From that day forward David moved on toward his full entry into the Kingdom, and his pathway became increasingly hazardous.
This is the pattern for each of us to whom the call of the Kingdom has come. We too were once peacefully settled with the flock of our Lord. I knew I had a call on my life, but I didn’t know it was to start churches, pastor, and prophesy. I did have the teaching part figured out.
Then suddenly, surprisingly, there came a call to the Kingdom! Kingdom light of the LORD shown upon the pathway. A Kingdom messenger was sent (Jesus Himself)--- and a new anointing poured out. We heard unbelievable words. Our hearts were stirred and enfired by visions of the glories of the Kingdom of God on earth.
The fire and call is so strong that no earthly force has the power to quench it. Family, Church friends, demons, persecution, abuse, earthly love, rejection, money, or lack thereof, and even Hell itself has no power over the fire within. The fire of the call is stronger than all the fires of Hell. Fear has no power over the fire.
Yet, like David, we are sure to find that the way into the Kingdom is long and tortuous. It was my flesh, carnal soul and earthly lusts that caused my pain as the path of life. Under the fire of Christ’s love, all my worldly desires slowly burned away until one day we become a flame of fire.
We do not at once leave the sheep-fold and proceed to the throne. There is a long preparation for our new entrance into the Kingdom. We find that to be born into the Kingdom is a matter of grace; but to enter into it as a mature son, destined to reign with Christ and receive the rewards of the Kingdom, requires much discipline, faith, suffering, warfare, and sacrifice.
I was saved at 9, received the baptism of the Holy Spirit at 33, commissioned into the ministry at 50, and overwhelmed with the awesome presence of the LORD for the past 35 years.
In the first chapter of 2 Peter, we are shown the requirements for an abundant entrance into the Kingdom. Paul too had much to say about the training for the Kingdom. Jesus, of course, gave us complete instructions for the Kingdom and summed them all up in two main figures--- the child and the servant of all. He said that it is to the “little flock” that the Father will give the Kingdom. The second Psalm speaks eloquently to that little flock. And if you are found among them, rejoice! Yes, they are, as Amos said, “the flock of the slaughter.” But praise God! We know that “the saints of God shall take the Kingdom and possess it forevermore” (Daniel 7:18).
God has a real Zion on earth ---a Kingdom people, in whose hearts He is already enthroned. Salvation is free, but the Kingdom is attained only by the overcomer.
There is Kingdom work to be done.
Gal. 6:17-18: From now on let no one trouble me, for I bear in my body the marks of the Lord Jesus. Brethren, the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. Amen.
Carolyn Sissom, Pastor
Eastgate Ministries Church, 10115 West Hidden Lakes Lane, Richmond, TX
Scripture from N.K.J.V. – I entered into the labors of “The Psalm of the Messiah King” by Frances Metcalfe. Testimony, comments, and conclusions are my own and not meant to reflect the views of Frances Metcalfe.