What Triggers A Demonic Attack?

Taleban militants freed 12 South Korean hostages in separate groups on Wednesday,
after reaching a deal with South Korea on the release of all 19 Koreans held for nearly six weeks

Scripture

2 Tim 1:11-12
And of this gospel I was appointed a herald and an apostle and a teacher. 12 That is why I am suffering as I am. Yet I am not ashamed, because I know whom I have believed, and am convinced that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him for that day.

Observation

What triggers demonic attacks against you, your dream, your vision, your calling, your business, your family, your church, or your ministry? What makes the devil so upset that he rises up to resist you and your efforts? If God chose you and He sends you out, why do you experience so many difficulties along the way to your goal of fulfilling all He has called you to do? This was the very expereince of the Korean mission team, wasn't it?

In 2 Timothy 2:11-12, Paul gives us incredible insight into what triggers a demonic attack.

The word suffer is the Greek word pascho, and first and foremost it means to suffer as a result of outside
forces or outside circumstances. It could include physical suffering due to persecution; mental suffering due to outside pressures; financial suffering due to monetary hardships; or any inconvenience that stems from something outside of oneself or outside of one's control. Thus, the word pascho would depict any suffering or inconvenience due to forces beyond oneself.

When Paul wrote this verse, he was in Rome, sitting in a prison cell, awaiting his own execution, and being accused of crimes that he had not committed. Because Satan couldn't find a way to personally destroy Paul because God had a hedge around him, the enemy was manipulating outside forces against Paul and his ministry. The apostle's situation had been created by outside pressures that had nothing to do with himself but that the devil had orchestrated to use against him.

Satan was terrified of Paul's calling! The reason Paul was recurrently attacked is that the devil was fearful of the enormous progress Paul would make if he didn't face opposition. Paul let us know that his anointing, his calling, and his potential were the factors that triggered these demonic attacks. It's almost as though Paul was saying, Do you want to know why I've suffered so many crazy things during the course of my ministry? Because I am appointed a preacher, an apostle, and a teacher of the Gentiles.

The reason Paul was never defeated by these attacks is that he had made a decision. He decided he would not stop or give up until he completed all that God has given him to do. Likewise, the only way we will be able to resist the devil's attacks and successfully achieve all God has called us to do is by determining never to stop until we have accomplished our divine assignment. Jesus taught that those who endure to the end are the ones who will receive the prize. (Matthew 24:3)

Application

This morning the Straits Times reported the release of the 12 of the 19 Korean hostages by the Taliban. This was after the Korean government had made negotiations with the Taleban to not allow missionary activity in Afghanistan anymore! But the newspaper reported the Church in South Korea saying this:

"South Korean Protestant organisations hinted that missionary activities would go on even as they supported the deal.

'We respect the government's agreement with the Taleban and will devise more effective and safer ways to carry out missionary activities abroad,' said the Korea National Council of Churches in a statement."

If you want to overcome all the attacks the devil tries to wage against you through outside forces, you will have to be determined to outlast every attack! Determination is a key factor in finishing one's race of faith.

Of course, no one can successfully resist the devil's attacks without the power of the Holy Spirit, but neither is the power of the Holy Spirit enough by itself. For that power to be effective, it must work in a committed, determined people. God's power works in people who have a resolve. It works proficiently through people who have decided they will never turn back until the assignment is finished. God delights in using people who are steadfast and unmoving in their conviction, tenacious and diehard in their commitment. He takes pleasure in those who have stamina, spunk, and a dogged determination to hold on to the vision He put in their hearts.

The most common reason people don't make it all the way to the end is that they weren't totally committed to completing the task assigned to them. Maybe they tried it or gave it a shot, but their commitment wasn't strong enough, and that's why they didn't make it.

There are many things Satan can do to try to elbow us out of the race, but the only one who can decide to quit is you or me. Satan can't make us quit. That choice lies in our hands alone.

If you make the decision to stay in faith and slug it out with the power of God at your side, you can do exactly what God called you to do. But you must begin with a rock-solid, hard-core decision to do it, do it, and keep doing it until it's done. Make any lesser choice, and you will never fulfill your God-given purpose.

Bravo to the Korean Church!

Prayer

Lord, help me stay focused on my calling and remain determined to do what You've told me to do, even if I am assaulted by outside forces that seem to be beyond my control. I know the devil hopes to slow me down or even to stop me by orchestrating outside pressures to come against me. But I also know that Your Spirit works mightily in me, giving me all the power I need to resist every assault the devil tries to bring against me. Help me to be completely determined and committed to keep pushing ahead and to never let go until I've accomplished my God-given mission!

I pray this in Jesus' name!

Two Kinds Of Strongholds

NEWSFLASH: Taliban to release all 19 South Korean hostages held in Afghanistan
- S. Korean Presidential Office/REUTERS

Scripture

For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds; Casting down imaginations.... 2 Corinthians 10:4-5

Observation

If you want to be free from every stronghold of the enemy in your life, you have to understand that there are two kinds of strongholds: rational and irrational. The rational strongholds are the most difficult to deal with because they usually make sense!

Paul refers to these rational strongholds when he says, Casting down imaginations.... The word imaginations is taken from the Greek word logismos, which is where we get the word logic, as in logical thinking. Thank God for a good, sound mind, but even a sound mind must be submitted to the sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit. Otherwise, your mind will develop a stronghold of natural reasoning that starts to dictate all kinds of lies to your life. These are rational strongholds.

The reason I call them rational strongholds is that they are strongholds in the mind that make sense! You see, your logical mind will always try to talk you out of obeying God. In fact, if you don't take charge of your mind, it will begin to completely dominate and control your obedience to God. It will tell you that you can't afford to obey the Lord and that it isn't a good time to step out in faith. Your natural mind will come up with a whole host of logical reasons to explain why you shouldn't do what the Spirit of God is telling you to do. They are logical but they may not be biblical.

Second, there are irrational strongholds. These primarily have to do with completely unrealistic fears and worries, such as a fear of contracting a terminal disease, a fear of dying early in life, an abnormal fear of rejection, and so forth. These types of irrational strongholds in the mind, emotions, and imagination will normally play their course and then dissipate. But if harassing thoughts persist in your mind and insist on controlling you mentally and emotionally, you must deal with them straightforwardly with the Word of God.

In 2 Corinthians 10:5 Paul says, Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ. Notice that Paul doesn't say one thing about bringing the devil into captivity. Rather, he tells you to take every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ.

The devil tries to invade your life through lies that he plants in your brain. If you don't take your thoughts captive, it will be just a matter of time before the devil starts using those lies to create mental and emotional strongholds for the purpose of keeping you in bondage. But if you take your thoughts captive, then your thoughts cannot take you captive!

Application

Whether those strongholds are rational or irrational, I can take authority over them and cast them down! So I must quit listening to every lie that devil tries to sink into my brain, and start taking those thoughts into captivity to the obedience of Christ! I must pull down every mental or emotional stronghold in my life with the supernatural weapons of warfare God has given you!

While my family was having our Family Altar tonight, I received a CNA text message that the Taliban will be releasing the 19 South Korean hostages. We were elated! From the onset, I have led my family and church to believe that God was into something bigger in the kidnapping of the hostages. He is sovereign and He does everything in line with His larger purposes. The Taliban agreed to free the Koreans after Seoul agreed to end all missionary work in Afghanistan and in keeping with a promise to withdraw its troops from Afghanistan by the end of the year. God is still sovereign and His plans cannot be thwarted and only time will tell what God is really up to! The Bible says "The horse is made ready for battle BUT the victory belongs to the Lord." (Proverbs 21:31)

Our response to all these is to ensure that we don’t allow strongholds – rational or irrational to take residence in our minds.

Prayer

Lord, help me to see any area of my life that is dominated by rational or irrational strongholds. Forgive me for allowing the devil to sink his lies into my mind, and help me now to uproot and cast down every one of his lies. I know that Your Word will renew my mind to think in accordance with You, so I am asking You today to help me make Your Word my way of thinking today!

Hairspray - Celebrating The Outsider

Today my family saw “Hairspray”, the Broadway musical inspired movie, which starred John Travolta, Michelle Pfeiffer, Queen Latifah, and Christopher Walken, to name a few well-knowns and the newcomer who is also the leading lady of the movie Nikki Blonsky. And for the first time, the Hollywood leading lady doesn’t have to be as thin as a twig! Watching the movie, you enter in to a world were black and white become equal, and where fat people dance to wild applause and family is everything.

The movie opened with a short and fat, robust, stiff-haired teenager bounding out of bed and dashing into the streets of Kennedy-era Baltimore to sing. From then on, you get treated to the dance and song of the early 60s. Wow! The 60s looked so wholesome, no wonder going ‘retro’ is so much in fashion these days.

The movie celebrates the 60s peoples-right era. And halfway through the movie, you get the sensing that the movie is about everything that is wholesome, right and good, while raising real issues about human dignity, human rights and cultural standards of beauty.

The movie celebrates the outsider – the person who struggles to be accepted for his colour, his size and his place in society. But these very outsiders were the eventual culture changers. They defined the future by defying the culture of the day. In the film, it is these fringe people, these outsiders who were the ones with the right things - they carry both courage and character. And what so affirming to me about the film is that it casts these outside people as being heavier and probably uglier (and coloured!) but they are all so gifted, so courageous, so human. They become the heroes of the show!

My favourite scene in the movie was when Edna finds Velma (Michelle Pfeifer) downstairs in Wilbur's "Hardy-Har Hut" joke shop attempting to seduce Wilbur (what Edna does not see, however, is that Wilbur is completely oblivious to Velma's sexual advances). Edna was deeply hurt but her husband Wilbur managed to win her back and there is this wonderful song, You're Timeless To Me, where husband and wife sway and dance together, so in much love. In certain places, it really gets funny when you see a thinner old man romancing his big fat wife - but it is so sweet and so rare a scene these days and timeless indeed!

My take-home lesson from the film was that transformation in a community always begins with a chosen few, who will have to stand up, out of the crowd and dare to make a difference. Then begins a movement of change that grips the masses but somebody must dare to trail-blaze the way.

Martin Luther King was one such man. But there was One greater than him who is still bringing the ultimate transformation of peoples and communities. His Name is Jesus and in His day and time, He too was an outsider.

Provocative in its message of racial reconciliation, equality and prejudice, Hairspray succeeds in preaching without being preachy. In a world that seeks to divide, Tracy is at the forefront of leading the movement to tear down the wall of separation, not just between whites and blacks, but also the beautiful-looking people and those that look a little different .

In the words of Tracy Turnblad herself, Hairspray is "afro-tastic!"

Ease Over Effort

Scripture

"Watch yourselves, that you might not lose what we have accomplished, but that you may receive a full reward." (2 John 1:8)

Observation

Modern inventions have pretty much automated the world in which we live. We're able now to pre-program a system, and without much effort receive in return the results we desire. From cruise controls that will allow a vehicle to operate at a predetermined speed, to the auto-pilot that releases the pilot from flying an airplane, automation seems to rule the physical world. And we like it so because it offers us convenience.

Convenience has so dominated the face of the modern world that it has spawned "convenient stores" that sell "convenient foods." Last week, convenience store '7-Eleven' announced its 400th store in Singapore. It all goes to show how popular convenience is to us. Even relationships are being discovered in "convenient" computerized match ups. And underlying it all, there seems to be a self-centeredness at its core.

We seem to thrive on convenience because it frees us to do things faster and quicker, which allows us more time to do what we want to do, when we want to do it, without having to wait. Life becomes all about "us."

But it shouldn't be so when it comes to our spiritual walk and our relationship with Christ. While the world may toss a variety of options our way that will make it easier and more convenient for us to live, caution must be taken that we don't apply the same attitude and desire to our Christian life, lest we "drift away" (Heb. 2:1).

John's cautionary words here should be taken to heart in our convenience created society. Day to day we are presented with the same offerings as false teachers did in John's days - exchange the life of a Christian for the "easy life." But nothing in life that's worthy, especially to the Lord, will be found in a convenience store.

• Developing a deeper relationship with God takes time - time to open the Word daily and meditate on it seriously; time to build family altars; time to pray fervently;
  
• Serving others takes time, although it may seem as an inconvenience to us;
• Developing relationships within our family, meaningful, quality time, takes time, but is a priceless investment of it.

Application
I was truly blessed through this round of Leaders' Mentoring. I facilitate three groups of men over two weekends every month. This time round our focus was on Biblical Thinking. What thrilled me most was when every one of these guys shared how they are investing time with their families, especially in building family altars. They do this diligently despite that fact that they are very busy men - at work as well as in the ministries God has called them to. But they are putting family first and that is by no means convenient .

There is so much that the Lord has already accomplished in our lives. May we be watchful today that we don't choose ease over effort and invest my time well with what God requires of us.

Prayer

Father, thank you for all that you've done in my life. May I follow Your ways, regardless of the costs to me.

Standing In His Council

Scripture

"I did not send these prophets, yet they have run with their message; I did not speak to them, yet they have prophesied. But if they had stood in my council, they would have proclaimed my words to my people and would have turned them from their evil ways and from their evil deeds" (Jeremiah 23:21,22).

Observation

God isn't concerned about the prophesying. He is however, when they do it of their own accord. God desires that His word to be spoken, but first to be sure that we have stood in His council.

Standing in His council... this is crucial to anyone who yearns to be used by God. Without it, our actions can morph into becoming a religious ploy for attention, control, and prominence.

Standing in His council... it's meeting with God every morning to catch His marching orders, to once again connect with His heart and to sense His Spirit. It is allowing Him to recalibrate anything that is going astray. It is the slight corrections that must be done daily that will keep me from going over the edge.

Application

I choose to stand in His council daily. I cannot afford not to. I am beset with too many weaknesses, and I am far too frail to go without His council. I would surely fall.

Several weeks back, as I stood in His Council, I heard the Lord say to me to bring 2007 to a close with two campaigns in the church that will ride the wave of doing the simple unusual in our midst. First was the Blessing Your Health Campaign and the second, the BlessingONEthousand campaign.

In the Blessing Your Health Campaign, the goal was to make Agape visible to the community as an Oasis of Healing. So we will run a Healing Booth at the Lantern Carnival and Special Healing services in both the English Services and the Chinese Service on Sept 30th.

In order to get all geared up for the healing campaign, we started the first of three Healing Clinics last night, to equip those who will pray for the sick at the Healing Booth and the Healing Services. We had 25 people. And we had such an engaging, interactive time of learning together. The Lord was present, which was evidence when we prayed for the sick amidst us.

The point I am making is this: when you act on what God tells you as you stand in His council, you will see His favour and His power working on your behalf.

Prayer

Father, I cannot afford not to stand in Your council daily. I know well my weaknesses. I know how susceptible my heart can be at times, and unless I stay in your council, I will teeter. Please draw me near. I will not be able to stand without Your favour and power.

Shattered Expectations

Scripture

"And when Jeremiah finished speaking all that the Lord had commanded him to speak to all the people, the priests and the prophets and all the people seized him, saying, "You must die!" (Jeremiah 26:8)

Observation

Jeremiah was faithful to do exactly as the Lord had commanded. In verse 2 he was warned to speak to the people all that was commanded of him and "do not to omit a word." And for his obedience, there was no "love offering" taken, there were no gifts of appreciation or words of affirmation and encouragement, there were only death threats that awaited him. But notice how Jeremiah chose to respond: "Amend your ways and your deeds and obey the voice of the Lord, your God... but as for me, behold, I am in your hands; do with me as is good and right in your sight." (Jer. 26:13-14). His faith wasn't shattered and his conviction to follow the Lord fully never wavered.

Application

Sometimes following faithfully the ways of God will produce results we weren't exactly expecting.

We extend forgiveness to another, just as the Lord directed us, but none is extended back to us;

We try to be faithful parents, but our children still don't appreciate us;

We faithfully stay true to our spouse, but the feeling isn't reciprocated in return;

We pray for healing of a loved one, that only results in death.

What should be our response when our obedience meets up with shattered expectations; when the results of our obedience fail to live up to what we expected: Change our expectations.

Our motivation to move in obedience with what the Lord has asked of us, whether in our marriage, our family, our relationships, in our finances, should never be based on selfish expectations. Obedience must be generated out of a sincere desire to honor the Lord for who He is, rather than what we want. When our wants overshadow our willingness to obey, it is a one way ticket to the land of frustration. Our actions of obedience must be based upon what He said, without omitting a word, regardless of the results.

Prayer

Father, may my obedience to You be exactly that today - one that is pure and undefiled by my own wants and desires. My obedience must be unconditional, just as You love me unconditionally, regardless of my response. May I honour You with my obedience today.

To Doubt Your Doubts

Caravaggio. Doubting Thomas. 1602-1603.

Oil on canvas. Sanssouci, Potsdam, Germany.

Scripture

Jesus said to [Thomas], "Because you have seen Me, have you believed? Blessed are they who did not see, and yet believed" (John 20:29).

Observation

Thomas indeed was a doubter. He couldn't find himself believing the resurrected Christ until he had empirical evidence to that end. He saw a lifetime of transformed people. Even his own life had been radically changed, but in the end, he needed more proof.

Jesus invites him closer to inspect His wounds, and Thomas surrenders and declares: "My Lord and my God!" Jesus' response is telling for the many of us who might find ourselves with the same tendencies of Thomas: "Blessed are they who did not see and yet believed." In other words, Jesus reserves a special blessing for those who do not demand empirical proof to under gird their faith. The Word of Christ is enough.

In Matthew 8, Jesus comes across a Centurion who asked for his servant to be healed. Jesus graciously offers to come to his home, but the soldier replied: "Lord, I am not worthy for You to come under my roof, but just say the word, and my servant will be healed." Jesus then commends him and we find these words: "He marveled and said to those who were following, 'Truly I say to you, I have not found such great faith with anyone in Israel'"

Application

I want to take Him at His word! Obedience to Christ will be of utmost importance to me … even when I doubt. I will doubt my doubts before I doubt my faith! I will choose to follow Christ even though my flesh may suffer and complain. And I know that His blessings and His grace will proved for me and sustain me through the years ahead.

A case in point was the most unusual thing that happened this past week. For years I had struggled to whether I should call the church to the Building Fund. I reckoned the church was already giving so much - into tithes and offerings; into missions and into the work of the community. But with the church growing and the inner sense of needing to prepare for the future, we finally re-activated the Building Fund on Aug 11 on Vision Sunday. Right after that, on Thursday, I get this call from New Creation Church that they are blessing Agape with $50, 000 towards Agape's Building Fund! God was saying again - just don't doubt his provisions. There is just no telling to how he will supply!

Prayer

Lord Jesus, I receive this exhortation and relish it. Thank you for washing me daily with the Truth of Your Word (Jn. 17:17). Please wash me daily so we can be close! I yearn to walk near to You, to reflect Your heart and to stay single minded in the purpose you have for me.

Slow Drift

Scripture

"And the Lord said, "Because they have forsaken My law which I set before them, and have not obeyed My voice nor walked according to it, but have walked after the stubbornness of their heart and after the Baals, as their fathers taught them... behold, I will feed them... with wormwood and give them poisoned water to drink." (Jeremiah 9:13-15)

Observation

How does a nation with so much, walk away with so little... one step at a time. Israel slowly drifted from the ways of God. It wasn't an overnight failure; it wasn't a sharp 90 degree shift that turned them away from His plans for their future. It was one step at a time, one step after another, almost nonchalantly detaching themselves from their Lord.

The writer of Hebrews warns us even today of the same danger where it says, "For this reason we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, lest we drift away from it. (Hebrews 2:1)" It's a deliberate drift, like a creeping cancer, that may begin unnoticed to the unaware, will soon infect every part of our souls and separate us from the source of life, leading to a slow spiritual death.

Application

What are some of the symptoms that we must watch for that should sound the alarm, lest we enter that drift and get caught in its currents:

• When success is defined in terms of what I have, rather than who I am in Christ;
• When I rely more upon what I can do for myself, than upon what Christ can do for me;
• When the focus of my life rests upon the increase of things that are temporal, rather than the spiritual growth of my heart;
• When attaining status among man supersedes cultivating my inner character and convictions;

We are all susceptible to slowing drifting from the ways of God. In such a faced paced society, it's easy to fall in the mainstream of the busyness of life and allow ourselves to flow away from the essential things of God. And if we fail to consciously guard our hearts, we will walk away from Him, one step at a time.

Prayer

Father, thank you for reminding me of the warning signs that I must heed along the way. What you have done for me, and what you have provided is too precious to forfeit. May the warning alarm sound so loud and clear should I begin to drift from You and Your ways.

Lessons From Evan Almighty

My family and I sat to see Evan Almighty after dinner this evening, thinking it might be entertaining, like its predecessor, Bruce Almighty. Little did I know, I would learn some valuable lessons from the movie.

It's not that I didn't already know or believe these things about the wonderful character of our God, it's just that I haven't really thought of them specifically in the terms I saw them in the movie. There are three be to be exact.

1. In the movie, Evan, understandably resists God's overtures to build an ark. God, however, is rather persistent. The number 614 (as in Genesis 6:14) shows up everywhere. Pairs of animals begin following Evan to congressional meetings. The Go-4 Wood (pronounced Gopher Wood) Company keeps dropping off lumber at his front door. And despite his freakish attention to personal hygiene, Evan's hair and beard begin growing at alarming rates. Evan's home and professional lives become very complicated. But God assures Evan, "Whatever I do, I do because I love you." Evan spends the rest of the movie finding out just what God means. Isn't that the story of our lives as well? Through struggles and storms, pains and perplexities we learn that whatever God does in our lives, He does because He loves us.

2. Later in the movie, God (Played by Morgan Freeman) talks with Evan's wife in a little diner. She is struggling over how she could ever go back and support her husband, who has turned into the Old Testament Noah because "God told me to build an ark for a flood is coming." God reminds her of the time she prayed for the family to become closer. He tells her, in effect, "How does God answer a prayer like that? He doesn't just Zap you and you are all closer. He gives you opportunities to become closer. If you pray for patience, He does not just pour patience into you; He gives you opportunity to be patient. And if you pray for courage, He does not just zap courage into you, but gives you opportunities to be courageous. "

So many times we pray for God to just DO something, take away the struggle; help us get out of pain, love people more. But, we wait and He does not make it so. But, all the while we fail to notice that He is constantly putting us in situations that, if we chose to lean on Him totally, would make us more like we are praying to be.

3. At the end of the movie, as the family is back together and happy, they are in a picnic and Evan sees God far off in the trees. He excuses himself and goes to catch up with Him. After some conversation, God finally says, "Well, it's time." "Time for what?" asks Evan. "Time to do THE DANCE." Of course, God is referring to the little dance Evan does throughout the movie, when things are going well and he is happy or blessed. But, Evan asks, "Will you join me?" God, in effect says, "I thought you'd never ask." And they dance.

This is a WONDERFUL parable of the tender love of God for His people. God is ALWAYS willing to dance with us through life. He is always available and willing, and even EAGER to waltz through our trials, sadness and pain, as well as our joy and celebrations. What a heart-warming picture of the Almighty God! He is always present; securely present; sovereignly present.

Be Sure To Walk In Sword-Power

Scripture

And take...the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

Ephesians 6:17

Observation

Have you ever been confronted with a situation where you felt you needed a word from the Lord, but you didn't know which word you needed? Did you run to your Bible and start flipping through the pages, searching for that perfect word you needed but it seemed like you just couldn't quite find the right word to fit your situation?

Well, then you need to know about the sword of the Spirit. You will find that when the Holy Spirit drops a word into your heart for your exact situation, that rhema word will have incredible power to drive back the enemy from his attack!

We need to understand about how Roman soldiers went to sword practice, because it will help us understand the difference between a rhema, or a quickened, specific word from the Spirit, and the logos, which is the written Word of God.

Because the Roman army was so committed to warfare, its soldiers practiced the arts of warfare continually. One of the primary exercises was daily sword practice. The soldiers exercised themselves in this skill morning and afternoon. The ancients gave their recruits bucklers that were woven with willow branches and were two times heavier than the ones used in actual battle.

In addition to these heavy bucklers, the swords that Roman soldiers used in practice were made of heavy wood and were twice the weight of the real swords used in battle. Every soldier practiced combat with a wooden post about six feet high, which was firmly fixed in the ground. This six-foot post became his enemy during practice. Just as with a real enemy, he would advance upon his target, strike hard with his sword, and then retreat.

The soldier's job in practice was to learn how to take advantage of his enemy; how to hit him at his weakest point; and how to strike him so he could not respond. The aim of the man wielding the sword was nearly always pointed toward the head or face, toward the thighs or legs, or occasionally toward the sides of the target.

Flavius Vegetius Renatus, who lived around 380 AD and who documented the affairs of the Roman military, wrote: “They [the military recruits] were likewise taught not to cut, but to thrust their swords. For the Romans not only made jest of those who fought with the edge of that weapon, but always found them an easy conquest. A stroke with the edges, though made with ever so much force, seldom kills, as the vital parts of the body are defended by both the bones and armor. On the contrary, a stab, although it penetrates but two inches, is generally fatal.”

Application

It was from this background that Paul said, And take...the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. (Ephesians 6:17) Notice particularly that Paul says, ...the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. The word translated word is not the Greek word logos, which would refer to the written Word. Instead, Paul employs the use of the Greek word rhema. This is so powerful and here is why!

Had Paul used the word logos in this verse, he would have implied a sweeping stroke against the enemy, and this would never do. You see, the logos although broad, heavy, wonderful, and full of general direction for our lives is not sufficient to deal the enemy a fatal blow. We need to stab the enemy! This will require a rhema a specific, quickened word from the Scriptures, placed into our hearts and hands by the Holy Spirit. With a rhema from God placed in our hearts and hands, we have real sword power to use against the enemy!

A genuine rhema doesn't have to be six pages long to be effective against the work of the devil. As Vegetius recorded in his history of the Roman army, all that was needed to kill an enemy was a mere two-inch penetration. Likewise, one very small rhema from the Lord has the power to do the adversary in!

The best example of this sword power of the Spirit is found in Luke 4:3-13. In this passage, Satan is the aggressor who is found attacking Jesus on repeated occasions. But Jesus doesn't simply say, Satan, get out of here. Instead, Jesus stabs the devil repeatedly with direct blows! Jesus had a specific, quickened rhema from the Holy Spirit!

After the devil tempted Jesus with food, Jesus drew the sword that the Holy Spirit put in His hand (a rhema) and said, ...It is written, That man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God (v. 4). To this stabbing sword of the Spirit, the enemy had no response.

After offering Jesus all the kingdoms of the world in exchange for worship, Satan was wounded deeply by one rhema from the Master's mouth. Jesus told him, ...It is written, You shall worship the Lord your God, and him only shall you serve (v. 8). To this sword of the Spirit, Satan had no answer.

Then Satan tried to tempt Jesus to prove His deity. But Jesus answered His adversary with a sword, saying, ...It is said, You shall not tempt the Lord your God (v. 12). With one final stab, Jesus penetrated Satan's armour and delivered an almost fatal wound and at that point, Satan fled from the scene!

Like the Lord Jesus, we are equipped with all the armour of God, and this includes the sword of the Spirit. As long as you have this spiritual equipment, no battle is a real threat to you! All you must do in any given situation is to seek God for a rhema Word and stand secure in that Word and use it as a sword against all the attacks of the enemy on your mind, your emotions and your body.

Prayer

Lord, thank You for giving me the sword of the Spirit as part of my spiritual weaponry. When the devil attempts to attack me, please help me be sensitive to hear the exact rhema that the Holy Spirit desires to drop into my heart with which I can then deal the enemy a fatal blow. Starting right now, I open my heart and soul to listen so I can hear any scripture or word the Holy Spirit wishes to give me to use against the works of the devil in my life.

I pray this in Jesus' name!

Humbling The Heart

Scripture

"And it came about when the king heard the words of the book of the law, that he tore his clothes... "[Because] your heart was tender and you humbled yourself before the Lord when you heard what I spoke against this place and against its inhabitants that they should become a desolation and a curse, and you have torn your clothes and wept before Me, I truly have heard you," declares the Lord." (2 Kings 22:11, 19)

Observation

What does the Word of God do for you? To Josiah, the Word wasn't simply education; it was revelation. It revealed the wrongs which the previous generations had committed and led Josiah to make the changes that were necessary to set his house in order. When it was read to him, it was as if the Word exploded within his heart and he was moved to take action, to make the adjustments to his life and his household. And for his humility, the Lord blessed him.

It's humility that primes our hearts to be receptive and sensitive to the revelation of God's Word. It's humility that moves us to correct and to change, to adjust and alter our ways, in favor of God's ways. It's humility that will lead to obedience of God's Word. Humility tenderizes our hearts and heightens our awareness to the leadings and promptings of the Holy Spirit who is trying to shape and mold us each day into His image.

Without humility, our hearts become hardened and resistant to change. We may read God's Word, but it simply becomes education. And while we may memorize scripture and have beautifully framed verses that decorate our walls, the Word and the lessons to be revealed, never move us to change and His Word fails to make a difference in our lives.

Application

So, how do we measure our degree of humility? By truthfully answering this question: "To what extent am I willing to make a change in my life because of what God revealed to me today? How will I be different today because of what I just read?"
Regardless of my past accomplishments and achievements, regardless of my sense of success, each day I must possess a heart of humility that is willing and open to change according to what He has revealed to me today.

Prayer

Father, just as Josiah was willing to "clean his house," so must I respond to Your Word today. Reveal to my heart the areas of my life that I must begin to sweep, especially the chambers of my heart and the corners where no one sees, except You.

Isn't it Time for You to Hit the Rewind Button?

Scripture

2 Tim 1:6-7
Therefore I remind you to stir up the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of my hands.

Observation

Have you ever experienced the delivering and rescuing power of God? I'm talking about those moments when your situation looks completely hopeless but suddenly God's amazing grace intervenes and your situation is miraculously changed! Can you think of moments like this in your past?

It's amazing that when we are confronted with a new challenge, we often fail to remember God's faithfulness in the past. Our perspective gets blurry because of the problems we are currently facing, and we forget that we've gone through similar or worse circumstances before. The looming mountain of problems before us looks so big that we momentarily fail to remember all the other mountains we've already faced and overcome with the help of God.

When Paul wrote his second letter to Timothy, the younger man was facing the biggest mountain of his life. Nero had become the emperor of the Roman Empire. Because of his tyrannical rule, believers were being persecuted and were even dying for their faith. In the midst of all the panic, Timothy was tempted to fear for his life and his future. He must have wondered, Is God going to be faithful to me in this terrible hour?

So in 2 Timothy 1:5 , Paul tells Timothy, when I call to remembrance the genuine faith that is in you, which dwelt first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice, and I am persuaded is in you also Paul wanted to remind Timothy about something very important!

God's faithfulness was a part of Timothy's family heritage. His grandmother trusted the Lord and the Lord had never failed her or let her down. His mother trusted the Lord and the Lord had never failed her or let her down either. Because Timothy was dealing with great stress and difficulty, Paul took the opportunity to remind him that just as God had never failed his grandmother or mother, neither would He abandon Timothy in his difficult hour.

Then Paul told him, ...Therefore I remind you to stir up the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of my hands. 2 Tim 1:6

I want you to particularly focus on the phrase, I remind you. In the Greek, it means to regather or to recollect memories. It carries the idea of replaying these memories over and over again in your mind, the way you would hit the rewind button on your dvd player so you can back up and watch one part of a movie over and over again.

This means there are some memories we should never forget! For example, we should constantly hit the rewind button in our minds and replay the times that God has been faithful to us in the past delivering us, healing us, and rescuing us time and time again. We should replay those scenes in our minds until we never forget His faithfulness to us!

Application

Paul reminds Timothy (and us) to take our eyes off these times of trouble or the present crisis and to remember God's delivering and rescuing power in the past. If we really looked at our past, we'd find that we have faced other moments more severe than the one we're facing right now and God never failed us or let us down. In fact, He delivered us and turned those situations around!

Don't ever forget what God has already done for you, for those memories will stir you up and encourage you to face your present dilemma with faith. Just as God has always been faithful to you in the past, He will be faithful to you right now.

Never forget how:

• God has healed you.

• God has delivered you.

• God has saved you.

• God has guided and directed you.

• God has brought you through difficult trials.

• God has provided for you during hard financial times.

• God has protected you from the snare of the enemy.

These kinds of memories are powerful and will stir up your faith today!

Last night, at the DAY OF HIS POWER, that is exactly what we did in closing. We looked back to the history of our nation and saw how the first missionaries landed on our shores, planting churches, building believers and how in the last 150 years, we now have nearly 600 churches in Singapore, not counting the numerous Christian aided schools, hospitals, mission agencies, social arms and community service organizations. "Thus far the Lord has helped us..." and greater exploits are ahead of us as the next generation takes the faith to new heights all because great is His faithfulness!

Prayer

Lord, You have always been faithful. I thank You that even in my present situation, You are going to be faithful again. Please help me recall all the times in the past when You delivered and rescued me from other situations that also looked hopeless. Thank You for helping me keep those awesome experiences alive and fresh in my mind and heart. I thank You for always being faithful to me! Thank you Lord for you great faithfulness towards our nation, Singapore!

Could You Use a Little Extra Strength to Make It Through Your Day?

Scripture

For I know that this shall turn to my salvation through your prayer, and the supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ.

Philippians 1:19

Observation

At times everyone gets physically tired and mentally exhausted. However, some believers, regardless of how long or how hard they work, seem to have the knack, fortitude, determination, and will to keep going strong, even when everyone else can barely take one more step.

Have you ever met someone like this? Have you wondered, How in the world can that person keep going the way he does?

Could it be that this person has learned how to tap into a supernatural Source of power? In Philippians 1:19 , Paul talked about this kind of power: For I know that this shall turn to my salvation through your prayer, and the supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ.

I especially want you to notice the word supply in this verse. It is the Greek word epichoregeo. The word epichoregeo is an old word that literally means on behalf of the choir. Let me explain where this word came from and why Paul uses it here.

Thousands of years ago in classical Greece, a huge choral and dramatic company practiced endlessly for a huge, important theatrical performance. After they put in a great amount of time, effort, energy, and practice, it was finally time for the show to go on the road. But there was one major problem: they ran out of money!

These people had given their lives to this production. They had committed all their resources to making sure the performance succeeded. But because they ran out of financing, it meant the show was over finished! They were washed up before the show ever officially got started. From all appearances, it was the end of the road for them and their dream.

At that exact moment, a wealthy man heard of their crisis, stepped into the middle of their situation, and made a huge financial contribution on behalf of the choir. This contribution supplied all they needed to get back in business again! In fact, the gift the man gave was so enormous that it was more than they needed or knew how to spend! This man's contribution was excessively large, abundant, overflowing, and overwhelming.

This is where we get the word supply in Philippians 1:19 that now describes the enormous contribution of the Spirit that Jesus Christ wants to give to us!

Application

In light of this, Philippians 1:19 could be taken to mean:

I am certain that this situation will ultimately turn around and result in my deliverance. I'm sure of it first, because you are praying for me; and second, because of the special contribution of the Spirit that Jesus Christ is donating for my present cause.

This means when you've run out of steam; when you've given your best effort and you don't feel like you have another ounce of energy left to give; when it looks like your resources are drained and you are unable to take one more step unless someone steps in to help you. That is exactly the moment when Jesus Christ becomes your personal Benefactor! Like the wealthy man in the story above, Jesus steps into your life at that moment to donate a massive, overwhelming, generous contribution of the Spirit's grace and power for your cause!

Jesus is your wealthy Benefactor. He has more strength and power to give you than you'll ever be able to use! If you are weak, He has precisely what you need to get up, get recharged, and get going again!

But often times, it takes others praying for you to bring into your life this supernatural supply. Last night the Church Council met for prayer and I was so blessed when in closing, the members of the Council surrounded me to pray for the pastors of the church. I knew there and then that a supernatural, overwhelming supply of God’s Spirit was being ushered into our souls so that we, the pastors of the church, will have more than enough to get us on our feet and back on the road again, however broken, however beaten.

So when your natural human will is too tired to keep going and you've exhausted all your resources, let Jesus reinforce you with a new supply of the Spirit that will give you all the strength you will ever need. And get others to pray for you so that He can fill you with a supply of power so large, you could never even begin to use it all!

Prayer

Lord, I realize I don't have enough strength by myself to do what You have asked me to do. Today I'm asking You to donate a new supply of Your Spirit into my life. Right now, I open my heart and ask You to fill every nook and cranny of my life with the power of the Holy Spirit so I can get back on my feet again and fulfill what You have told me to do!

What To Pray For The Champions...

Latest Press Update: Talks to free the 21 South Korean kidnapped
by the Taliban insurgents in Afghanistan were deadlocked yesterday,
with still no agreement on where the face to face negotiations might take place./Reuters.

Scripture

2 Thessalonians 3:1

Finally, brethren, pray for us, that the word of the Lord may have free course, and be glorified, even as it is with you.

Observation
Paul did front-line mission work. His ministry took him places where the Church was non-existent. He dealt with hostile governments; he faced opposition from false religions; he pushed the evil forces of the demonic realm out of the way; he brought converts from the bleakness of paganism and turned them into living, breathing members of the Body of Christ.

As Paul makes his final remarks to the Thessalonians, he says, Finally, brethren, pray for us.... The Greek word translated pray is from the word proseuchomai. As it is used in this verse, this word means to pray continually or to pray without stopping. Paul is sincerely asking for committed prayer partners who will pray nonstop for his team, his ministry, and for himself. When he says, Pray for us, the word for is the Greek word peri, which means around or about. Paul is specifically requesting prayer for those things that are around or about them hence, the things that concern them and their ministry.

Next, Paul gets more specific about how to pray. He says, Pray for us, that the word of the Lord may have free course.... These words free course come from the Greek word trecho, which means to run. This word trecho was used to describe the swift-running messengers who dashed between enemy lines to carry vital messages of instruction to those who waited on the other side of the battle. These especially brave and courageous messengers were essential if battles were to be won.

One more important fact must be pointed out. The tense Paul uses when he requests prayer that the word of the Lord may have free course indicates a constant and continuous pace. Thus, it is possible to translate this phrase, Pray that we will be able to keep up the pace that is required for us to get this message.

Application
One of the greatest challenges of Bible translators is to translate into English the many ideas and images that are in Greek words. Perhaps no example makes this clearer than Paul's prayer request in this verse, which in English is a mere twenty-four words in length. But those twenty-four words are packed with power and meaning!

These powerful words used by Paul in 2 Thessalonians 3:1 convey the following ideas:

Finally, brothers, pray for us and for those things that concern us. Pray that the word of the Lord will spread quickly and without resistance. Pray that we will be able to keep up the pace that is required for us to get this message out!

To fulfill this task, we have to be like runners whose eyes are fixed on the goal before us! We must be like brave, bold, daring, and courageous messengers, whose job is to carry vital information across enemy lines. We have to move promptly and swiftly to get the message of the Gospel to the other side where people are desperately waiting.

Since the Lord has dispatched us to carry this message, and since this task requires us to run speedily through dangerous territory, we request prayer that we will be able to make it through every skirmish, clash, confrontation, and struggle that we might come across as we run to the other side to deliver the word of the Lord. I request that your prayers be unbroken, uninterrupted, and never-ending. As you pray, remember to specifically stipulate that the word of the Lord would usher in a triumphant and glorious new day in the lives of those who hear it, as it has done among you.

Prayer vigils go on for the 21 surviving hostages in South Korea. (Ahn Young-joon/AP)

The Korean mission team went where the Church was non-existent. They crossed over enemy lines and did exactly what Paul and his team would have done. As we continue to watch and pray for the 21 remaining hostages, can we commit ourselves to pray for them without stopping? I put up their picture on my phone so that every time I turn on the phone, I am reminded to breathe a prayer for these champions of the faith. And can we pray with all faith that the word of the Lord will have free course in Afghanistan because of their valiant sacrifices?

Prayer
Father, I want to honour before you these young men and women who have gone out in your Name to places many of us would never dare go. I commit myself to pray for them and for your Word that it will indeed have free course in those regions where the Church is non-existent.

Wonder Or Rage

Scripture

"The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me ...to grant to those who mourn in Zion-to give them a beautiful headdress instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, the garment of praise instead of a faint spirit; that they may be called oaks of righteousness the planting of the LORD..." (Isaiah 61:1,3)

Observation

The prophet Isaiah is cited by Jesus Himself in Luke 4: 18 and 19 after having returned from the desert being tempted by the devil. He returned to Galilee and on the Sabbath, the book of Isaiah was handed to Him and He read aloud these words. At first the people were open, but within ten verses, they will be filled with rage.

But they were angry, not at the Scriptures, but at the fact that Jesus was relating this to Himself as the Messiah. He said, "Today, this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing." Funny thing ... at first, they were filled with wonder, and then within moments, they were filled with rage.

Application

I guess you can either be filled with courage when He speaks, or you can be filled with rage. It is really up to me.

Sometimes Jesus speaks to me through the Scriptures, and I must choose how I respond... or even whether or not I will respond. But that is not His only means of communicating. He speaks to me through people, situations, and even hurts. We can find His voice in the midst of losses as well as His congratulations in the midst of the wins. He whispers through comforts but shouts through pain. He is quiet in strength and near, very near ... in weaknesses. And if we will listen carefully, we can find confidence in the midst of attacks, joy in the midst of trials, and hope in the midst of storms.

The last two weeks I was pacing with one of my staff in her struggle with some very real pains in her ministry. I watched her move from strength to weakness to renewed strength again, having to make sense of the situation she was in and the undeserved emotional pain she had to deal with. I prayed for her that the voice of the Lord will drown all other voices she was then hearing. I prayed for myself that I as listen to her and speak into her situation that it will not be just my voice that is heard. I asked the Lord for his words for her because in such times the only words that can bring strength and healing and life are his words. Then I prayed that she will respond to his voice.

I have found that I more often miss His voice when I am on the rise, and I become sensitive again when I am in a slide. With that in mind, I think that sometimes, for me, a defeat can be more triumphant than a victory in order that my heart will again be tenderized to His voice.

Prayer

I will hear You through whatever means You use to speak to me, and I choose to be filled with wonder and not rage. Regardless of what I face, I will search for ways to find Your perspective on things so I can be filled with the calm of your confidence.

Biblical Thinking

Scripture

"Dear friends, this is now my second letter to you. I have written both of them as reminders to stimulate you to wholesome thinking. I want you to recall the words spoken in the past by the holy prophets and the command given by our Lord and Savior through your apostles." (2 Peter 3:1-2).

Observation

Peter exhorts us to "wholesome thinking." I love that phrase. It promotes a kind of thinking that factors in the words of Scripture and principles of the Word of God.

"Wholesome thinking." That's on the endangered species list, isn't it?

How often, we have our own predisposed ideas and intentions, and we look for Scriptures that will reinforce them. The Bible then begins to revolve around us rather than the other way around.

The story is told of a man who visited the farm of a self-proclaimed expert in archery. Everywhere he looked, he found targets with concentric circles ... on the barn, on haystacks, on trees ... and in the middle of every target was an arrow, smack in the middle of the bull's-eye! Convinced that this man must indeed be the best archer, he knocked on the door, but no one answered. Looking around, he made his way to the back of the barn. There he saw the self-proclaimed expert about to shoot his bow. He let the arrow fly and it stuck fast in the boards that lined the barn. He then took a bucket of paint, and around the arrow, he drew the target, placing the arrow in the middle of the bull's-eye!

Wholesome thinking based on the Word of God adjusts our aim to match His target, not the other way around. Wholesome thinking is wise thinking, biblical thinking that I bet includes some common sense and practical wisdom in equal amounts. Not too "religious" and not too "spiritual." Just lots of godly wisdom in several helpings of refreshing simplicity.

Application



Last night, we opened my first session in the study of Job. I have studied Job for about two years now and to bring a very distilled, basic teaching on the man, his struggles and the God whom he worshiped despite his pains and perplexities is very enriching for me.

If you ask me how the study of Job has personally blessed me, I would say almost immediately that it has led me to be more God-centric. The study has led me to hunger for wholesome thinking; biblical thinking.


So last night, I closed the teaching with the current story of the abduction of the 23 Korean mission team members by the Taliban in Afghanistan. We can all blame the local Korean church that sent this team, that it was a foolish move on their part. We can blame the team members for not taking enough precautions. We can blame the Taliban for their atrocities or the Afghan government for their indecisiveness and get all worked up (and get all self-righteous).

But can we exercise some biblical thinking here? Didn't God allow this? If God wanted to, he could have stopped the team from making that trip. He could have protected them from being kidnapped and He could have prevented the two killings. But he didn't. Surely, God must have a higher reason and a grander purpose. After all, He is God and He knows what He is about. Yes, Satan can device his plans but it is still God who decides. That is what the opening chapters of Job tells us.

I want to learn to be a person of wholesome thinking and biblical thinking ... making decisions based on God's Word without compromise. I want to factor in His principles that will result in wise decisions for my faith, my family and future. I want to be sure that God's purpose for my life is fulfilled, and in order to do this, I will write them down, study them, and plan my days accordingly. I will then keep them ever before me to be sure that all my actions, investments, and plans match those purposes.

Can I invite you into that journey of developing a biblical mind?

Prayer

Dear Father, I don't want to shoot aimlessly and hope that I can draw Scripture around it. I will do my best to discern Your will and then aim my life to hit the centre of the mark. Please help me to do that! And help me see the world and see my life in the light of your grander purposes. Amen.