Standing Shoulder To Shoulder Together As We Fight the Good Fight of Faith A personal letter of encouragement to You, written solely to "lift up hands that hang down". TO SUBSCRIBE send a blank message to shoulders-subscribe@... . TO UNSUBSCRIBE send a blank message to shoulders-unsubscribe@... . IN EACH CASE you will receive an automated request for confirmation which you must answer. FOR BACK COPIES go to http://associate.com/groups/shoulders . Get "HOPE4KYIV", a praise report and prayer request letter of the Tolliver's ministry as missionaries to Ukraine, TO SUBSCRIBE send a blank message to hope4kyiv-subscribe@.... FOR BACK COPIES go to http://associate.com/groups/hope4kyiv. +=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+ SHOULDER TO SHOULDER #324 ---- 2/23/04 Title: "SPIRITUAL BATTLES ---- REAL OR IMAGINED" Dear Friend and Fellow Warrior: Greetings today to you, with the hope that your heart is overflowing with gratitude for the grace of God as it has been poured out on you just for this very day. From my heart, I hope that today will prove to be one of absolute refreshing and encouragement to you, body, soul, and spirit. I pray that today, you will prosper in everything to which you put your hand, and that you will see fruit for your service to Christ. SPECIAL PRAYER REQUESTS: 1. Jack Taylor is a name familiar to many people, especially those in the circles of those who have given their attention to personal revival, a deeper life in Christ, and the work of the Holy Spirit. Coming from a small Texas church that experienced God's touch of power and grace in the 1960's, Jack was raised up of God to become a prolific writer, conference speaker, and revivalist that touched lives in many denominational and non-denominational settings. I count him as a good friend, although we've not seen each other for many years. Jack's first book, The Key To Triumphant Living, probably sums up his life and ministry. If he were to write the book again today, it would come from far deeper levels of experience than when he first penned it. His wife, Barbra, also an outstanding communicator, suffered for many years from debilitating illnesses before she went home to be with the Lord several years ago. But her life was a testimony of grace through it all. Jack remarried a number of months ago (I'm not sure just how long it was) to a widow named Jerry. While they were taking a world cruise on a ship where Jack was serving as chaplain, Jerry suffered a massive stroke. They were stranded in Tahiti for quite some time before they were able to return to the U.S. Soon after their return, Jerry died. So, my request is that you pray for Jack and his family as they go through the heartache of the loss of another person of grace and love. If you want to write Jack by e-mail, let me know and I'll send an address for you. 2. Today I begin a heavy two-week schedule of teaching the Book of Acts at St. James Bible College. I will have a total of about 35 classroom hours plus travel and preparation, in addition to other regular writing, pastoral, and family responsibilities. So, I would really appreciate your prayer for me during this time. We have just come through two intense weeks, now face two more, and then after a four-day break, will travel to Germany and Poland for about two and one-half weeks of ministry conferences. SPIRITUAL BATTLES ---- REAL OR IMAGINED: Recently a subscriber wrote, "Bob, I appreciate the fact that you don't try to hide your scars or your struggles. You've been honest enough to describe your journey as sometimes like a yoyo or a roller coaster. I am especially encouraged to have learned from you that those struggles usually don't have anything to do with where you are spiritually. They often don't have any relationship to how close or far from the Lord we may be. Thanks for helping me be free to be who I am where I am." Well, I don't know if it's always true, but God has taught me that the people who have influenced my life the most were usually those who lived in transparency and honesty before me. Maybe growing older has something to do with it. It seems to me that the older I get, the less reason I have to prove anything. I don't know . . . maybe I recognize that I couldn't prove it if I had to, or maybe it's just not that important anymore. Regardless, one thing is certain . . . . spiritual battles are very real. They are territorially real, they are spiritually real, they are about real issues, they are multi-dimensional, they come from real sources, they have real consequences, and they have real solutions. Spiritual battles are not imagined; they are real, indeed. Psychiatrists would say they're mental; counselors would say they're emotional; therapists would say they're the products of memories from the past; some theologians would say they are mere interpretations of doctrine; sociologists would say they're responses to cultural conditions. I say they are real. Of course, I'm none of the above, so maybe that's why it's easy for me to say spiritual battles are as real and tangible (and sometimes as visible) as the Tower of London, the Kremlin, the Rocky Mountains, or the Pacific Ocean. Spiritual battles are real. Their reality, however, sometimes is not recognized. But that doesn't make them any less real. Just because I don't recognize the battle, doesn't mean it isn't there. I may see it in a veiled manner or as simply a mere distraction, but then don't recognize its presence. I've seen and have been in both the Rocky Mountains and the Pacific Ocean many times; I know they are real because I've experienced them and I've seen them clearly. I've never seen the Tower of London or the Kremlin, but I still know they are real . . . . I saw the evidence in a photograph, movie, or news report . . . . I heard someone who had been there describe them. Perhaps one of the reasons we don't immediately recognize these struggles as being spiritual battles is because they come so well disguised. Or maybe it's because we forget the multi-level aspect of spiritual warfare. Too often we conclude that if it isn't demonic or satanic in some way, then it's just a struggle of life, and not an attack. . . . . even though the Bible clearly teaches us that our struggle is not with flesh and blood, but with spiritual issues, no matter the source or the form. You and I probably agree that spiritual warfare can be categorized into three basic areas which the Bible clearly identifies ---- the world, the flesh, and the devil. I think If we see otherwise, we are victim to what Paul warned us about in II Cor 10:3; "Though we walk in the flesh (in human form) we do not war according to the flesh (a human arena)," Then in verse seven he declares to the uniformed, "You are looking at things as they are outwardly." Between those verses he identifies the urgency of destroying strongholds or fortresses . . . . three types "vain speculations" or emotional imaginations of great desire for personal gratification, "lofty things raised up against the knowledge of God" or an arrogant intent to know better than God knows and therefore usurp His role as master, and taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ, . . . and ready to punish all disobedience" or trying to capture the driving passion to do something independently and for personal satisfaction. In other words, Paul exposes three driving forces embedded in the first arena of warfare . . . . To have something, to be somebody, and to do something apart from God. These are the basic drives of the carnal mind, sometimes identified as the flesh. So, the flesh is clearly identified as a major source of spiritual battles. The sooner we realize "the flesh profits nothing", and the sooner we recognize it as the enemy, the better we'll be. Interestingly, John picks up this same theme in his treatment in I John 2:15-16 when he talks about the world and the things that are in it . . . . the lust of the flesh (do something), the lust of the eyes (have something), and the pride of life (be somebody). So we discover that there is a great affinity, yes even an affection between the flesh and the world. They think alike; they love the same things. They are infatuated with each other. And, if given half an opportunity, they will have an affair with each other. So, we see two arenas of battle who are in intimate alliance with each other . . . . the world and the flesh. It may come as a surprise . . . . and perhaps not . . . . to realize that the world and the flesh operate with the identical motivations that our third arena of spiritual warfare, the devil. We see this clearly in at least two passages ---- Genesis 3 and Luke 4. When the serpent came to Eve, he reached deep into his diabolical heart and pulled out three incredible enticements . . . . look at Genesis 3:6. After getting her to question and doubt God's word (3:1) causing her great confusion (3:3 -4) which led her to complete deception through lies (3:5), it says, "when the woman saw that the tree was good for food [to take and eat] (to Do something), and that it was a delight to the eyes [ to have] (to Have something), and that the tree was desirable to make one wise (to Be somebody), she took . . . " Amazingly, Satan used the identical strategy on our own Lord in Luke 4. "Do something ---- tell this stone to become bread!" (4:3). "Have something ---- these kingdoms . . . my domain and all its glory! (4:6). "Be somebody ---- prove you are the Son of God!" (4:9). So, again, perhaps in some degree of shock and horror, we realize that Satan operates the very same way the flesh does. And he strategizes the same way the world does. But, why should that surprise us? If he is the great tempter coming to lie, deceive, kill, destroy, and steal, why should it surprise us that he will use any and every disguise available to him? And, if he is indeed the prince of this world, why are we shocked to realize he may use the enticements of the world to undermine us? As far as I can see, recognizing that the world, the flesh, and the devil operate similarly, but simply through different media, should not be a shock. Our problem comes, however, when we try to think of spiritual warfare as only demonic, when it is much more than that. Frankly, it's my personal opinion that for every attack I get from a demonic source, I get a hundred from the world and a thousand from my flesh. SPIRITUAL VICTORIES ---- CERTAIN OR UNCERTAIN: I'm sad to say that for most of us, our defeats may outnumber our victories. And this as both tragic and puzzling. Tragic because it's unnecessary; puzzling because I'm not sure why we let ourselves lose the battles so frequently. Maybe these are some possibilities. 1. Our familiarity causes us to lose sensitivity to the reality. Many believers, like me, have been in enough battles of major significance that we have perhaps become too familiar with them. Familiarity creates some good things . . . . understanding, alertness, confidence, etc. But it also creates some bad things . . . . presumption, distractions, loss of urgency or importance, etc. So, maybe we forget just how real the battle is simply because the conditions around us have become too familiar, or the rationalizations have become so recognizable to us that we begin to believe some of them may be true. 2. Our terminology becomes so commonplace that it rolls off our tongues with little or no thought. We begin to treat spiritual warfare casually. We even become uncomfortable with the term; "spiritual warfare", so we hem and haw around the concept calling it something else, or not even calling it anything else. We settle for, "Well . . . that's life, isn't it.". Isn't it interesting how easily Biblical truth can degenerate into nothing more than a cliché or pet phrase. 3. We lump everything together. We begin to call all adversity spiritual warfare or spiritual battles, or we fail to recognize that there are different types of spiritual battles, all of which end up in some type of war. If, as I noted earlier, most of our battles are sourced in the flesh and the world, then the probability of our not seeing them as direct attacks are much higher. After all, if you were going to try to tempt somebody, what's the first thing you'd do? Sure . . . . disguise yourself as just a carnal appetite, a personality trait, or a characteristic of the world around that person. 4. We become so focused on ministry that we forget to pay attention to the inevitable . . . . an attack. Even after all these years, I still find myself stunned or surprised at the attacks; I can get so caught up in the work of the Lord that I'm oblivious to the warning signs, the trends, the patterns leading to an attack. Sometimes we just don't pay attention . . . . until after the fact. 5. We revel and celebrate in the blessings and victories so much that we forget to watch out for counter attacks. Part of this is a natural thing, but maybe some of it is a lack of wisdom. Sometimes our reveling and rejoicing are because of the sheer pleasure of watching God at work. At other times, however, we may be sticking our heads in the sand because we don't want to admit the presence of the battles. We do that "Sunday morning smile" thing so that our friends and colleagues won't think we've got a spiritual problem. (Pride really does goe before a fall.) This past week is an example of some of the most intense spiritual battling I've done in a long time. I didn't even recognize it as (or at least call it) a spiritual battle, much less spiritual warfare. I saw it simply as frustration, stress, being over extended, interruptions, Ukrainian culture, mechanical failure, . . . . It was not until last Thursday that I finally realized what it was. It was out and out spiritual conflict with the enemies of my soul and the adversaries of the Kingdom. It was then that the Lord reminded me of something I've known and also experienced for 35 or more years ---- the war is real, and it is spiritual, whether it comes from the world, from the flesh, or from the devil himself. That moment wasn't the time to try to figure out which it was; it was just time to get the defenses back up, and stand my ground. Then I had time to figure out whether it was the world, the flesh, or the devil and his minions; and then I could take time to understand why this most recent battle occurred. As you recall from last week's letter, the previous Sunday's service was one of the most profound we've had since our arrival in Kiev a little more than a year ago. Monday I was flying high; but just a few short hours after I wrote to you, the pressures began. And they intensified through the entire week until Thursday I thought I'd explode in frustration and anger . . . . all for no seemingly apparent reason. I just felt incredible pressure and confusion. Then, Thursday the Lord reminded me of a "rule of spiritual life" by which I've lived for years. "Satan often attacks just after or just prior to something significant which God has done or is about to do." In this case, it was both. Sunday had been phenomenal. Attendance was one of the highest, worship was some of the richest, and joy and excitement abounded. And . . . Friday was the day when a group of us from various ministries would meet to discuss the feasibility of a city-wide prayer network, and then later that day our church would conduct our first "Excellence in Leadership" conference. And I was planted in the middle, like a "sitting duck" being pounded by garbage. It's one thing to be hit with bullets or rocks; it's another to be hit with garbage. You usually don't recognize garbage as a spiritual attack. Garbage doesn't frighten you; it just makes you mad. Bullets and rocks create fear . . . . fear or injury or death. You seldom die from being hit by garbage, but it's as equally debilitating and distracting. I felt like I was in the middle of a garbage dump, and truck load after truck load was tumbling down on me, while dirty little beggars were throwing the stuff in my face. When I shared this struggle with my colleagues with whom I met that Friday morning, they all laughed (the sympathetic "I understand" type of laugh) . . . . and then agreed. Just before we began our meeting, I was hit with some "complaints" by "others" . . . . you know those anonymous folks who talk with everyone else but you? They've probably been in your church at one time or another. By the end of the morning, we had all unanimously agreed that this strategic prayer network was clearly of the Lord, and we must do something about it. It was obvious that subtle efforts to discourage us were present. Then our conference on leadership began at 6:00. Uncommon for Ukraine, we started only 20 minutes late. And then at 6:23, we lost all electrical power in our meeting room. I had just asked everyone to be careful not to trip on the extension cords, because the bulb in my projector costs $579.00 to replace in Kiev. Then the lights went out. Lights in the next room remained on, as they did in the hallway. But the entrance to the building and our meeting room were dark. The electricity never was restored the rest of the evening. Now, I must say that Ukrainians handle things like this much better than Americans do. In America, we'd have either cancelled the session or we'd have gone somewhere for coffee. But, not here. Their basic response was, "So? . . . ." "So" . . . . we modified the program and shifted the things requiring projection to Saturday, and had a wonderful training session. God was there, and He moved deeply in the hearts of many people. Saturday got off to a great late start, and, apart from several lesser distractions, God moved again. Our prayer time at the end was very special. Jo Ann and I received numerous comments from participants regarding how lives had been changed and prayers had been answered. By the end of the day, I had finally tuned in on the source and type of harassment, was able to relax, get a good night's sleep, and prepare for services yesterday afternoon at church. But, there the battles began again. Forty-five minutes before services, we were informed we had to be done early so sound technicians could set up equipment for a gospel band which would be performing later that evening. Attendance was down, the sanctuary was without heat, our own media people didn't start setting up equipment until three minutes before they were supposed to be finished, people with keys to our storage cabinets weren't available, the microphones didn't work part of the time, and the local Christian university from where some of our leadership team comes had no water and it made some of them arrive barely in time to begin services. When I switched on my lapel mike we got some sermon in Russian being broadcast over the sound system, the attempts to fix the problem resulted in ear splitting squeals and screeches, the second attempt produced a radio program of some type in Russian, . . . .and that's not the half of it. By this time, though, I knew what was happening, so we simply rejected the attempted attacks, laughed, praised God, and had a wonderful and very special time of worship, deep intimate prayer, and an opportunity to pray for one of our sisters who is going to Jerusalem in a few weeks to minister. FINALLY: Two things of significance came out of this series of events: First, the people were able to see it for what it was, reject it, and laugh in the face of the adversary. Secondly, God used it all to confirm and validate some very important things regarding the ministry of the church and our work here as missionaries. We all knew that we were slipping into enemy territory, and he was getting very uncomfortable. When you think about it, intimidation and harrassment make perfect sense. They are often unnoticed, and they are usually not seen as being part of the battle. Hidden snares, booby traps, and things that scare the daylights out of you are just as effective as the more easily recognized and anticipated tactics of frontal assaults. Perhaps the most thrilling thing for me, however, was to see our people become more excited over the possibilities of praying for our city. I preached from Judges 1:22-25 where the spies from the tribe of Joseph come up to Bethel to spy it out. They see a man coming out of the city, and ask him, "Please show us the entrance to your city." You see, every city has a hidden and secret spiritual entrance. If you can locate it through prayer, God will lead you to do great exploits in reaching your city in unexplainable ways. Otherwise, you'll just do business as usual. So, we're looking for the entrance! That makes the battles worth it. Thank the Lord for being more alert to the distracting harrassments, and for letting us recognize how the enemy is tipping his hand. We'll be more prepared when the war really starts. So, dear friend, . . . . be on the alert. Be vigilant. The lion roars. In Christ's Bond and For His Glory, Bob Tolliver -- Psalm 2:8 Copyright February, 2004 Life Unlimited Ministries lifeunlimited@... www.peopleteams.org/kiev/team/tollivers.htm (Personal ministry) www.peopleteams.org/kiev (General team ministry) http://community.webshots.com/user/01lum for our pix albums. If this letter has blessed you, feel free to forward it, with proper credits, to any and all you wish. Please do NOT hit reply to this letter. This is an automated unmanned system. If you want to write Bob, send directly to lifeunlimited@.... Replying to "Shoulder To Shoulder" mailer gets you nowhere. REMEMBER ---- "We will not Work where we have not prayed." (Todd Golden) May I Recommend . . . . If you have a heart for God and would like to be encouraged in your life and ministry, and you have a burden for your church, your community, and the world, then you may want to receive . . . www.cnsnews.com for daily world news without a liberal, godless bias. www.worldprayerteam.org ---- A world-wide network for praying together. www.watchword.org ---- excellent resources on revival, prayer, missions. www.waymakers.org ---- resources on prayer, evangelism, etc. www.operationiraqcare.org ---- To adopt and pray for a special historic city in Iraq. http://www.nppn.org ---- "National Pastors' Prayer Network" newsletter. ~ email: phil@.... Register your PPG: http://www.nppn.org/ppg/ . Usprayercenter@... ---- U. S. World Prayer Center. www.cityreaching.com ---- City Reaching/City Impact Roundtable. fridayfax-subscribe@... ---- Wolfgang Simpson's "Friday Fax" from New Zealand. www.LifeAction.org ---- "Life Action Outreach". www.revivalcsa.co.za ---- "Bulletin On Revival" by Francois Carr in South Africa. www.yifa.org ---- "Youth Interceding For America". www.missionamerica.org ---- "Mission America" . www.lighthousemovement.com ---- "The Lighthouse Movement". Click on "Lighthouses". Other Great Resources Are: www.sermonIndex.net for access to thousands of sermons by great preachers. Exceptional site. www.biblemaster.com for great Bible resources and downloads. Exceptional site. www.e-sword.net (one of the best free download Bible study site I've ever seen!) http://associate.com/camsoc/ctt/"Christian Communications Toolkit" (using internet wisely) http://www.associate.com/camsoc/crop/software.html#freewin. Free software or shareware listings, www.associate.com/camsoc/crs/ for church related software from CAMSOC. To subscribe to CAMSOC update newsletter, go to grga@.... www.ccmag.com. "Christian Computing Magazine", ccmag-subscribe@.... CCMag discussion newsletter, http://www.christiangraphicdesign.com/premierinfo.htm Thousands of Free Christian graphics. Online Resources on Ukraine are . . . . www.uazone.net www.hope4cee.org www.ukraineinfo.us www.peopleteams.org/ukrainians www.reachukraine.org http://www1.excite.com/travel/travelguide/destination/0,20310,europe-550,00.html Secular News on Kiev and Ukraine will give you interesting views at . . . www.kyivweekly.com www.kievpost.com www.kyivpost.com www.ukrainenews.com www.ukraine-observer.com