Tools for City Transformation - Strategy For City Transformation (Part 2)

By City Transformation we are primarily talking about spiritual transformation resulting in the discipling of large populations of the city, and eventually leading to transformation of all spheres of daily life.

We are talking about winning souls, discipling them in the faith and seeing their lives transformed.

So the bottom line – City Transformation is simply the transformation of the lives of people in the city.

1, City transformation will take place when every believer is involved in City transformation

2, City transformation will take place when every believer is transformed, equipped and empowered to engage in city transformation

3, City transformation will take place when every believer engages in city transformation starting with their circle of influence.

4, City transformation will take place when we combine efforts into a strategic movement that is planned and executed with divine wisdom and leading of the Spirit

5, City transformation is primarily a spiritual effort and hence we must begin by leveraging our spiritual resources given to us in Christ.

Today: Tools for City Transformation

Here are tools, resources or methods that all of us believers can use/exercise to see city transformation – that is, to see people saved and disciple, in our city.

1, Personal Lifestyle

Our lives are salt and light – they permeate and penetrate our environment. Matthew 5:13-16

We are like leaven – we influence the culture in which we operate Matthew 13:33

We are like good seeds of the Kingdom Matthew 13:38

Walking in repentance, righteousness and holiness is our defense and preparation for war. The Bible calls this as the “Armor of righteousness” (2 Corinthians 6:7). It is our armor of light (Romans 13:12).

2, Communicating The Gospel

The Gospel of Jesus Christ is the power of God that transforms, saves, heals and delivers. Sharing the simple Gospel is powerful Romans 1:14-16

Go where people are.

Use Innovative ways to communicate the Gospel – at all locations.

3, Demonstrations of love and power

Compassion and power flowed together in the life of Jesus. Matthew 14:14

Love and power are not separated (Compassion and healing flowed together through Jesus)

Jesus is our ultimate model and we must do as He did. Reach out to people in works of love and power.

John 14:8-12

The works that Jesus did (i.e. demonstrations of the Supernatural) were a revelation of who He is and who the Father is. He said the believers will do the same and even greater to reveal who He is.

Acts 1:8

Power has been given for us to be witnesses. This power flows through our lives revealing who Jesus is.

All of us must be engaged in exercising our authority and releasing the anointing to see the sick healed, work miracles and undo satanic works.

4, Prayer & Intercession with Fasting

2 Chronicles 7:14

We must understand that the primary reason why a certain kind of spiritual atmosphere prevails, and why certain kinds of principalities and powers dominate a region is because of the words and actions of the people living in that region.

Isaiah 3:8,9

The correct way to bring about change is to (a)repent on behalf of the people for the prevailing sins and (b)Intercede for God to remove principalities and powers that dominate that region , and (c)establish God’s presence through worship, acts of righteousness.

Examples:

Idolatry

When we see people steeped in idolatry – our approach is not to fight against the principalities and powers behind this practice. It is God who will remove idolatry.

Isaiah 2:8,18-21 Isaiah 19:1

Our approach is to (a)repent on behalf of this sin, (b)Intercede for God to remove principalities and powers that dominate that region with idolatry, and (c)establish God’s presence through worship, and ensuring we have no idols in our own lives.

Corruption/Injustice

When we see a region or establishment in corruption and injustice – our approach is not to fight against the principalities and powers behind this practice. It is God who will remove these demonic powers.

Isaiah 59:1-3,14-16

God was looking for an intercessor!

Our approach is to (a)repent on behalf of the sins of the people, (b)Intercede for God to remove principalities and powers that dominate that region , and (c)establish God’s presence through worship, and ensuring we do not practice corruption and injustice in our own lives.

5, Ground level Spiritual warfare

2 Corinthians 10:4-6, Luke 10:19

Minister to individuals and use your spiritual weapons to set them free from demonic influence, oppression and possession. Follow what we see Jesus do in the Gospels. Matthew 8:16

Pitfalls To Avoid in Spiritual Warfare

1, Avoid being overly concerned about what the devil is doing

Our greatest strength comes not from being demon conscious – but from knowing our God. Focus on worship and intimacy with God.

2, Avoid being overly concerned about “spiritual mapping”

Spending time trying to discern and map the names of demonic principalities and powers over a region only serves to distract us, unnecessarily consume our time and fill us with pride about our knowledge and efforts.

If God reveals something specific that needs to be dealt with, that is fine. Act on it.

“When we pay too much attention to evil spirits, we end up paying homage to the strength of demonic powers rather than to the power of Jesus. Satan would willingly lose every battle to us, so long as he could successfully steal the attention that belongs to God.” (John Paul Jackson, in Needless Casualties of War, 1999)

3, Avoid trying to bind, rebuke, shout at principalities and powers over a region. It is God who moves them out of the way.

Focus on the 5 tools we have mentioned today.

Refrain from trying to get into spiritual warfare wrongly, especially reviling Satan.

Jude 1:6-9, 2 Peter 2:9-11, Zechariah 3:1-4

Author Leanne Payne, in her book, Listening Prayer, describes her encounters with intercessors who bind demonic principalities and powers over cities. Furthermore, she calls this an extreme and dangerous practice. “Thinking themselves to be intercessors extraordinaire and the only ones “doing” spiritual warfare, they were actually practicing the presence of demons. They had drawn the attention of dark powers toward the Body of Christ in that place by praying to them and through pridefully seeing themselves as “binding” them. As it turned out, they became a channel through which a “principality and power” – a ruling spirit over that city – descended into our midst….Needless to say, we were brought into a spiritual conflict of unusual proportions, one that need never [have] occurred. These folk, thinking they were intercessors, had merely succeeded in informing the powers of darkness in, over, and around that city that we were coming! In listening to them proudly relate all their hair-raising tussles with dark powers, I realized they take this “gift” every place they go. The way they pray assures that the people are involved with will have dramatic and terrible confrontations with evil powers, and that some of them will come under serious demonic deception. This is dangerous error.”