• This understanding moves our members to take the multitude and put them into God's family.
A. Gateway to heaven
Church members with an open heart to God establish together a connection to the spiritual realm for the presence of God to manifest on earth.
1. Spiritual entry and exit
Church is an entry and exit point, or gateway, to the spiritual realm.
As he slept, he dreamed of a stairway that reached from earth to heaven. And he saw the angels of God going up and down on it. … He was afraid and said, “What an awesome place this is! It is none other than the house of God—the gateway to heaven!” (Genesis 28:12, 17 NLT).
• In cheating the birthright of his older brother, Jacob had lost everything that he thought he could inherit. He had to get away from his brother with a journey that had no chance to return home. His predicament made his heart open to God for an intervention.
• An open heart to God becomes a 'gateway to heaven', which allows a two-way angelic traffic and the presence of God to manifest. The 'house of God' is where God's presence manifests.
2. Manifestation of the Spirit
God always respond to open hearts (see James 4:8a) and manifests His presence to accomplish great results for the people (see 1 Corinthians 12:7).
Now you who are not Jewish are not foreigners or strangers any longer, but are citizens together with God's holy people. You belong to God's family. You are like a building that was built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets. Christ Jesus himself is the most important stone in that building, and that whole building is joined together in Christ. He makes it grow and become a holy temple in the Lord. And in Christ you, too, are being built together with the Jews into a place where God lives through the Spirit (Ephesians 2:19-22 NCV).
• At where Christians are operating various spiritual gifts together, there is a gateway to heaven. It either lets what is on earth ascend into heaven, or what is in heaven to descend on the earth.
Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven (Matthew 6:10 NKJV).
• Your open heart releases God's kingdom or authority to rule on earth and His will or purpose to be accomplished here.
B. Gateway to victory
The spiritual gateway is also a place where demons try to stop your crossing over to spiritual breakthrough and revival.
1. In high spiritual position
Your position in the spiritual realm is far higher than all demons.
He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, far above all principality and power and might and dominion (Ephesians 1:20b-21a NKJV).
• To be seated together with Christ at God's right hand is sharing the same authority with Him. By believing in Christ, you are given a position in the spiritual realm far higher than all the four ranks of demons, namely 'principality, power, might, and dominion'.
2. Authority over territorial demons
You have the spiritual authority to defeat territorial demons.
For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places (Ephesians 6:12 NKJV).
• The four ranks of demons are also called the 'principalities, powers, rulers of the darkness of this age, and spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places'.
• 'Heavenly places' are used five times in Ephesians, to refer to the three spiritual realms or three heavens.
• 'Spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places' (see Ephesians 6:12) are top ranking demons operating from (the second realm) the spiritual world.
• 'Hosts' means army. Since they are also called 'dominion' in Ephesians 1:21, they are the warring demons with high 'dominion' in Satan's army. They are assigned to invade the world to promote 'wickedness' and evil. They promote such evils from their headquarters in the 'heavenly places', not from the earth.
Such demons desire to dominate territories and people, craving for influence in earthly human activities, governments, political scenes, and world events.
Then he said, “Don't be afraid, Daniel. Since the first day you began to pray for understanding and to humble yourself before your God, your request has been heard in heaven. I have come in answer to your prayer. But for twenty-one days the spirit prince of the kingdom of Persia blocked my way. Then Michael, one of the archangels, came to help me, and I left him there with the spirit prince of the kingdom of Persia” (Daniel 10:12-13 NLT).
• 'The spirit prince of the kingdom of Persia' was a demon which Satan had sent to take charge of promoting wickedness over ancient Persia.
He replied, “Do you know why I have come? Soon I must return to fight against the spirit prince of the kingdom of Persia, and then against the spirit prince of the kingdom of Greece. But before I do that, I will tell you what is written in the Book of Truth” (Daniel 10:20 NLT).
• The 'spirit prince of the kingdom of Greece' was the next demon sent to influence Greece Empire.
• Demonic 'prince' and 'king' rule above earthly kingdoms (see Ezekiel 28:2, 12-15). br> He begged Jesus again and again not to send them out of that area (Mark 5:10 NCV).
• The demon 'Legion' ('He'; A unit of the Roman army comprising 6,000 soldiers) did not want Jesus to send him and his 6,000 lower demons ('them') out of the locality.
• Demons or 'spirit princes' gang up to give sinful and evil influence to people in a certain place, country, or region to keep them eternally lost. We must intercede and cover people in authority from demonic influence that hinders godliness and peace (see 1 Timothy 2:1-8).
3. Confronting territorial demons
As we carry out God's will and do spiritual ministry, we are actually confronting territorial demons and destroying satanic frontier.
• Daniel was seeking God's revelations in fasting and prayer, but he had actually initiated warfare in the spiritual realm and changed the positions of certain territorial demons (see Daniel 10:12-13, 20).
• Paul's preaching and mentoring had actually defeated a chief territorial spirit and released a widespread revival in Ephesus and Asia Minor (see Acts 19:10, 26, 35).
C. Gateway to transformation
The anointing, which is the empowering of the Holy Spirit, enables you to destroy the demonic control over the people of a community (see Isaiah 10:27).
And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force (Matthew 11:12 NKJV).
• 'The violent' are people who passionately confront demons that hold an entire community captive.
• We can establish a territorial commitment over the community to fight those controlling demons until a spiritual transformation is going to take place.
1. Intensive warfare prayers
You must constantly lay spiritual pressure on the realm of demons until you reach a victory.
Representational repentance
As God's people, we can represent the community to seek forgiveness from God.
Then if my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sins and heal their land (2 Chronicles 7:14 NLT).
• Only the covenant people of God can humble and seek God's face to obtain forgiveness, and ask God to heal the community.
• 120 days of mourning and repentance on behalf of Israel had moved the 'good hand of God' to bless Nehemiah and the nation of Israel (see Nehemiah 1:4-9; 2:8, 18).
Strategic intercession
Survey the community to draw a 'spiritual character map' that reflects the demonic influences on the people. It should include:
• Spiritual history (how spiritual practices came in);
• Social bondage (prevailing bad activities);
• Disturbing trends (new behavioral patterns);
• Popular moral choices (collective behavioral pattern);
• Chronic problems (frequent reoccurrence); and
• Unique circumstances (evolution of social evils).
Identify also spiritual strongholds in the community that pose problems to the Church.
• Current problems facing the churches like division, opposition, and immorality are actually spiritual attacks targeted at them.
2. Progressive transformation
There are four measurable stages in reaching community transformation.
Spiritual beachheads
Beachheads are staging areas for invading the enemies.
• When you persist in united prayer for community transformation, the evidence of people responding to the gospel shows a spiritual beachhead is secured.
• At the beachhead, launch evangelistic assaults at the enemy strongholds. Build a culture of evangelism to reach spiritual breakthrough.
Spiritual breakthrough
Spiritual breakthrough begins when social evils and demonic activities in the community are breaking down.
• As people start streaming into your church, keep on evangelizing to reach a massive repentance from sins and breaking away from demons. An evangelistic breakthrough will spread across geographic and social boundaries.
• Establish a boundless network to capture the revival by training every Christian to pour his life on twelve disciples to repeat the process of multiplication.
Spiritual transformation
Spiritual breakthrough will lead to a season of dramatic renewal in the society.
• When transformation is taking place, there is an environment of spiritual liberty prevailing in the community. Values and beliefs of people are changed. God's kingdom affects virtually every aspect of endeavor in the community.
• Replace what the former demonic influence had on the people by raising up a godly standard of practicing God's word (see Ephesians 6:12-19).
Spiritual maintenance
Preserve the hard-won victory by practicing the things that have attracted God's presence (see Revelation 2:5).
• Practice spiritual worship for a strong habitation of God's presence (see James 4:8).
• Practice evangelism for Christ to manifest His presence always (see Matthew 28:20).
• Practice loving fellowship for Christ's presence to manifest among believers (see Matthew 18:20).
• Practice discipleship for the continuous presence of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit (see John 14:21, 23).
• Practice ministering for the Holy Spirit to manifest spiritual gifts (see 1 Corinthians 12:7).