When God asked me to go back to Bohol as soon as I could, I returned in March 2009 and God began to explain the first obstacle to revival, or maybe you can say the first major work that needed to be done was to remove the demonic power over the Island. He told me there was a demonic stronghold over, a principality of “religion,” which is a ‘religious spirit’ not the Holy Spirit but a demonic counterfeit. I heard several people say similar things when I was there.
People approach Christianity as a doctrine. They see their relationship with God as a matter of adhering to the right theology. But that week Jesus told me, “Doctrines don’t cause people to know me. You can know about me but not KNOW me. The Devil, my enemy, knows very much about me—his overthrow is inevitable—but he does not KNOW me. Just as Adam KNEW Eve and conceived a baby, I want my people—my bride—to KNOW me in the inner most chambers of their secret hearts.”
I also began to reflect on this idea, of dethroning a principality level demon. I saw one in Hong Kong empowered by the pagan temples that was looming over a Christian school in Tung Chung threatening it constantly. Christian teachers had weird supernatural assaults. This demon was well over 200 feet high but I soon saw God’s awesome power come down from heaven to assault it! Our God is Greater!
But not wanting to get myself killed, I asked Jesus how can people fight a principality? How can it be removed from the island. He said, easy, “Just minister in the open power of the Holy Spirit. Expose the lie they have been taught.” Well, how long will this take? “The better part of a year,” he said.
Once I moved to Bohol in 2012 we set about finding people we could train to help with ministry and held three seminars and traveled around to pray and understand the territory. But how would we know when the principality was dethroned? Well, for us, first the power was cut, then the house began shaking, by the time I got outside the ground was rolling like ocean water. It was an earthquake. After several weeks, God showed me a vision of the island and the sky was cracked open. You know what, it looked like an egg. Like we were INSIDE a black egg, and it was now broken open and the sky was bright and sunny! I could see the jagged black edges of the old shell on the perimeter of the Island. We had been delivered!!
If you look on line for images of the earthquake in Bohol in Oct 2013, what you mostly see is the destruction of old Spanish churches. One had a demon so strong even if my eyes were closed I could feel it when we drove by it in the bus. Afterwards, the demon was gone! God still told me not to talk on that land, it was unclean, unholy, but that strong demon’s presence was evicted when the island was delivered.
Then God warned me, “The principality of false religion has been removed. Now the witches are going to fight you. Recall, that Elijah fought a priesthood. Are you ready?”
How can you get ready to fight witches? A priesthood of them! Any ideas? I wish I had them seven years ago!
A few days maybe two weeks after the earthquake I was standing outside in the car park in front of the house. The power was restored, but was on and off, the relief was underway and suddenly in front of me LIGHTNING STRUCK! It was SO LOUD! I can’t even explain what that was like. I was so scared and God said, “That’s just so you know I’m still here!”
Curse of Poverty followed Abusive Religion
Not only had the religious demonic principality been a problem up until today, but the earliest Catholic churches were a part of the Spanish government and had dungeons in them and were used to establish and defend the colonial regime in God’s name using military force. This, God said, caused the local people to sin against their own hearts. Abusing their own people was a greater sin to them here because, God explained, he made the local people unusually friendly and kind. He said, “It was a Law of Hospitality I laid down in their hearts. Boholano people are by nature loving and hospitable. When they abused [their fellow humans], it brought a curse of poverty into their hearts and minds. If they can break it off, break off the yoke of oppression and bondage I WILL PERSONALLY SEE TO IT THAT THE LAND IS BLESSED … if not, well, it will go by the wayside like everywhere else. Poverty, sickness, death, yes, exploitation.” Part of the work of revival is to remove this stain of sin this religious abuse unleashed. Poverty was the result he said, and in fact, a large part of his plans for revival through us involve economic restoration.
Edward the Spirit of Christ in you is HUGE.