I was trapped in a religious stronghold for over 30 years of my life.

I look back at it now and know, that the Religious Stronghold was a certain religious interpretation of The Bible teachings about The Holy Spirit, and the baptism with The Holy Spirit.

I learned the teaching in the religious school I attended, to study to become a minister.  That religious school was called, Baptist.

I am not saying all Baptist are wrong, lost, or any such thing.  All I am saying is I was taught something that became a stronghold, and that stronghold did hinder me for many years.

I struggled with misunderstandings of the very one I needed the most, The Holy Spirit power and gifts.

Oh, I believed in The Holy Spirit, I just did not understand His work in the believer, and what it means to be filled with The Holy Ghost Power!

Many good men and women are also trapped in some denomination that does only teach some parts of the scripture, and they are like sheep in pens of strong walls.

A stronghold is a fortress built around you to protect you from the truth…  See 2 Corinthians 10:4-6,

“For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through god to the pulling down of strong holds; casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of god, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of christ; and having in a readiness to revenge all disobedience, when your obedience is fulfilled.”

A stronghold is an imagination in the mind that hinders you from believing the truth.

Religion builds strong castles with walls of dogma, doctrine of men, and religious convictions.

Religion is the cult of many misled men who are caught in its web.  Like a fly caught in the spiders web who eventually gets eaten by the spider, unless somehow the fly works free from the finely woven web of deception.

Religious strongholds are largely built on fear of the misunderstood, and unlearned.  Many are led to fear what they don’t understand.

I found in New Mexico a good example of a stronghold on top of a high mesa.  The Jemez Indians who lived in the Jemez Valley west of Bernalillo, New Mexico, when the Spanish conquerors came and subjugated them, putting them on reservations was the reason they ran away and hid on top of a 800 foot mesa.

The Jemez Indians refused to be forced by the Mexicans and hid on the top of the mesa, building a fortified town complete with walls of protection around the edge of the steep cliffs to keep out the Mexican Army.

Behind the walls built as shields of protection, the Indians piled up hand size stones to throw down on the encroaching army coming to force them to submit.

Here is today a true story about the mesa and how the Jemez Indians chose to die rather than submit.  A bluff over 100 foot high of volcanic lava and pumice stone surround the heights of the mesa.

When the Mexican Army finally succeed in breaking through the mesa walls, some 120 Indians jumped to their death rather than be captured.

Today all that remains is the fallen down walls of a primitive ruin which once housed some 500 Indians.  They would rather die than change.

Religion is like that.  A religious stronghold is very difficult to dismantle and destroy.  Many today are trapped behind some religious stronghold.

On Easter Sunday 1999, God tore down my stronghold.  He set me free from the bondage of the religious misunderstandings of His Holy Spirit.

I went into the desert place one way and came out another.  It was this real……I became another man.

Since that day, I have never wanted to go back to the religious stronghold that had held me.  I just love being free.

Truly it is very sad, that I spent over 30 years in misunderstandings of The Holy Spirit and His Power Baptism.

It is sad that I, like many others, just go around Acts 2 like it was not even in The Bible, just because someone told them The Baptism with The Holy Spirit only happened once in the early Church, and it is not for today.

Truly it is sad that I went out without all the power of The Holy Spirit to help me minister, preach, and win souls.

The power to receive even more Revelation Knowledge to help me move in victory over all my enemies.

It is a sad state of affairs to be trapped behind some religious stronghold.

On the mountain top, where I was caught up in The Spirit and talked with The LORD, He cried and told me:
“My People are like sheep put in pens…. pens and locked up….  hurting, and in need. 

Please go tell them to come and seek Me, and when they do, I will be here to set them free.”

“Seek ye The LORD while He may be found, call ye upon him while He is near: let the wicked forsake His way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto The LORD, and He will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for He will abundantly pardon.  For My Thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith The LORD.
For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts,”   Isaiah 55:6-9.

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I have posted this teaching word/ testimony in obedience to my Holy Spirit teacher.

LORD, cause someone caught in a stronghold to desire to break free!  Help them know and understand unhindered.

 

~ Desert Prophet Ken Dewey
The light will shine in His glory… In the desert.

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Evangelist/ Prophet/ Pastor Ken Dewey is the founder of “OUT OF THE DESERT MINISTRIES“ in Belen, New Mexico, USA.
He writes on Facebook and DesertZion.com Prophetic Words, Sermons and Teachings while leading people into true Church settings and preaching in an End Time Gospel Ministry.
For more information and messages, please visit DesertZion.com.

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