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 click "Return" when you receive confirmation request. 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@.... IN EACH CASE click "Return" when you receive confirmation request. FOR BACK COPIES or more information go to http://associate.com/groups/hope4kyiv. Get "PrayKYIV", a new informational prayer strategy letter for people wanting to pray for Kiev, Ukraine. TO SUBSCRIBE send a blank message to prayKIEV-subscribe@... IN EACH CASE click "Return" when you receive confirmation request. FOR BACK COPIES go to http://associate.com/groups/prayKIEV. Website: www.praykiev.org (still in development but accessible) +=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+ SHOULDER TO SHOULDER #355 ---- 9/27/04 Title: ""The March Into Battle -- (Part Five)" "Warfare's Protocol" My Dear Friend and Foxhole Partner: I know that term "Foxhole Partner" dates me, but such a thing still exists where fellow soldiers hunker down when the enemy fire is coming furiously at you. Perhaps you've felt like you were recently dropped in one, or maybe a mortar crater. Just wanted you to know I'm here with you. More importantly, our CO is also present. Everything's under control. SOME DISTURBING FACTS: It seems evident that not only are the days when America was the Christian nation that sent missionaries around the world long gone, but America has become perhaps one of the greatest mission fields in the world. Even though I am a missionary serving in eastern Europe, I still must say that, if God has not called you to another country, then He has therefore kept you in the U.S. for the very same reason ---- to proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ with power and authority. Recently Phil Miglioratti carried the following information in the latest NPPN newsletter. If you're a citizen of the U.S., the following statistics from the U.S. Prayer Center should bother you a great deal. WHAT YOU MAY NOT KNOW ABOUT THE U.S.A. -The U.S. is the third largest unchurched nation in the world. -North America is the only continent where Christianity isn't growing. -Seven out of 10 people in North America do not know Christ. -The United States is now the 13th largest receptor of Christian missionaries in the world. -More than 70% of all churches in the U.S. are plateaued or declining. -Half of all churches last year did not add one new member through conversion growth. -While the U.S. population grew by 11.4% over the last 10 years, church growth declined by 9.5%. -The U.S. Census Bureau projects that 47% of the U.S. population will be non Anglo-American by 2050. -4.1 million Muslims live in the U.S. -2.5 million Buddhists live in the U.S. -About a quarter million Sikhs live in America, with 100,000 living on the east coast. Other areas with high numbers of Sikhs are Chicago, Detroit, and Austin, Texas. (Source: North American Mission Board Planting Team and Barna Update, 2003) U.S. PRAYER CENTER | 7710-T Cherry Park Dr, Ste 224 | Houston | TX | 77095 I was a small boy just entering elementary school when World War II ended. My father pastored a growing church in the steel mill town of Granite City, Illinois. We met in a partially completed church building with the pastorium next door. Only the church basement had been built, capped with a temporary tar paper roof. The thing I remember most is that the place was packed with people during those days of crisis. Whether it was Sunday morning or evening or Wednesday evening, it didn't matter. People were frightened to God; they came with seeking hearts, burdened hearts, broken hearts. But they came. Similar things took place during the Great Depression I am told. They also happened during the Korean War. Vietnam was a different story. The accompanying "it's not our war" mentality made people more cynical, but not desperate . . . unless, of course, you had family members fighting over there. The Persian Gulf War clearly alarmed people, but it didn't drive people to the churches in vast numbers. Then September 11th happened. And, churches were again filled with frightened, searching, broken-hearted, angry people. God was the topic of conversation, and even skeptics realized they must seek the strength and solace of someone far greater and higher than themselves or their own government. But, the opportunity for true repentance and a return to God was missed. Like sand sifting through fingers, the spiritual hunger was lost. Churches welcomed the seekers with open arms, but most did little to develop long term relationships. Instead of taking the initiative to create lasting relationships, they left it up to the fickle hearts of the seekers who only look for shelter at the time of the storm, but don't know how to find a permanent dwelling place of daily safety. Within six months, according to all surveys and reports I've seen, almost all denominations reported that their churches were "back to things as usual". And people returned to pursuing their gods of choice. But not the God of all Creation and Compassion. My point? Another day is coming . . . . . . . And probably fairly soon. God has His agenda for a nation always in mind, and, even if we don't recognize it, always on the front burner. He is committed to shaping and forming a nation. Like a sculptor with hammer and chisel, He selects the shape and size of both, depending on His objective and the level of resistance on the part of the stone. The greater the resistance, the bigger the hammer and the more cutting the chisel. It's pretty obvious that America has become a very hard and resistant block with an ever hardening heart of stone. It will take severe blows, I'm afraid. SPIRITUAL WARFARE'S PROTOCOL: Saturday, as I wrote our monthly praise/prayer letter to our ministry intercessors, I was reminded of how the lives of our four daughters have changed so radically as a result of family and ministry circumstances. I guess I hadn't really taken time to think much about it until we began facing the situation with our newest granddaughter, Nicole Grace. I've watched as Jim and Deanna have faced things they never expected, and have had to adjust to circumstances and conditions that are totally out of their control. They are dealing with things they cannot affect or change. Instead of their being able to chance them, they themselves are having to change . . . . making adjustments that are thoroughly inconvenient, often seemingly impossible, but nonetheless necessary. As I thought about those changes, I saw how Jim, as a pastor, is having to radically modify the way he does ministry. As a worship leader, Deanna is having to adjust in often totally unrealistic ways. As parents, they are having to face things and do things that 99% of the parents of the world will never face. It was then that the Holy Spirit reminded me that this is much like spiritual warfare. We face a very real struggle with a demonically influenced cosmos that maintains one agenda, age after age . . . . steal, destroy, kill. It has never changed, and it will never change. As we face this type of sinister war, it is essential that we always remember Spiritual Warfare's Protocol at all cost. If we do not, we will be in for defeats, failures, exhaustion, and ultimate abandonment of the cause. + Protocol's Definition: Protocol is a formal word. It is not for household use, but is related to a clearly constructed, defined, and appropriate procedure of doing things. In the political and military worlds, you have people who are called protocol officers, because they are in charge of seeing that things get done in an orderly, identifiable, manageable way. They're not responsible for deciding the objective, or even determining the method of reaching the objective, . . . . but they are responsible for seeing that the objective is reached using the method previously determined. So, if there is a protocol to spiritual warfare, . . . . and I believe there is, . . . . it would help to know what we mean by the word "protocol", and it would also be helpful to know what that protocol is. I went to www.dictionary.com for a definition and found eleven entries. In essence, most of the definitions agreed on three or four elements. > First, protocol is a predetermined way of doing something. It has been created, established, and agreed upon . . . . because it works. > Second, protocol is built around a table of contents that lays out the framework for later details. Like a table of contents in a book, it says, "this is what we need to do, this is why, this is how, and this is what the conclusion needs to be. > Third, protocol often has such clearly defined and rigid steps that it can even become ceremonial. Like a wedding ceremony, one things follows another in order, and each element has a specific purpose and meaning. > Finally, protocol is a specified plan that is to be followed, no matter the circumstances or obstacles. So, if you think of spiritual warfare having a protocol, we must conclude that there is a way to do spiritual battle, it is a clearly defined plan, and it works. I think of my first exposure to spiritual warfare some 35 years ago, realizing that in those days we didn't have a clue about "protocol". It's a wonder that we weren't our own undoing. We did some really stupid things, and only by God's grace did we come through it unharmed. Our first mistake was that of assuming that everything was demonic, not taking into consideration other things such as sin, broken relationships, the flesh, the world's influence, and so forth. Our second mistake was assuming that we had to get the demons to talk to us and confess the means by which they accessed a person and whether or not there were other demons present and what their names were. We simply failed to realize that one of the main characteristics of demons is that they are liars. So, how could we trust what they said? Simply put, we didn't understand much about the way spiritual warfare is done, because we didn't even know there was a protocol, other than the Name of Jesus . . . (Which is enough in itself.) + Protocol's Dimension: I think maybe this is the thing that is most on my mind today. Protocol for spiritual warfare is multi-dimensional in that it involves several important ingredients. In order to be consistently victorious, those ingredients must be present, recognized, and utilized. For example, you first have the . . . > Chain of Command ---- Jesus understood that, and He followed it. He said more than once that, while on this earth, He watched what His Father was doing, and He did that . . . . nothing else, nothing more, nothing less. As believers, we also follow a chain of command. If we ever "think more highly of ourselves than we ought to think", or if we ever step out from under the command of our King, then we are doomed to failure. Every person in a chain of command has three things in common ---- position, authority, and instructions. All of it is delegated from the upline. Every believer has a position. All of us are seated with Christ in the heavenlies, where all things, both terrestrial and celestial, are under His feet. Because we are seated with Him, all things are under our feet. We should never be duped into living "under" the circumstances. We should never think we have to fight "for" victory, but rather "from" victory. Every believer has authority. It is not our own, and we cannot claim ownership. We have no authority of our own. The problem comes with many believers in that, because they recognize they have no authority of their own, they never take action against the spiritual realm of darkness. They assume that, since they have none of their own, they have none. They miss the point that they do have authority ---- delegated from the Lord Jesus Christ. We see it in the Great Commission, so why don't we see it in the realm of spiritual warfare. Every believer has instruction ---- for himself, and for those under his leadership and/or to whom he is ministering. Those instructions are clear regarding who he is, what he has been called to do, and how to do it. In addition to the Chain of Command, Protocol also includes . . . > Resources ---- You cannot fight a war without resources. The resources of a believer are numerous, and they are all needed, . . . and they all work when used properly. Without taking time to elaborate, let me suggest . . . . the mighty Name of Jesus Christ and all that it embraces, . . . . the power of the Word of God (something which Jesus Himself used against the devil in Luke 4) which we are to use as the only weapon of offense, . . . . the Blood of the Lamb, . . . . the armor or the Lord (fulfilling all the covenant demands), . . . . the gifts of the Holy Spirit, . . . . our position of righteousness before God, . . . . an intimate and unbreakable relationship with our Father who supplies for all needs, . . . . and our own testimony of God's faithfulness. What else do you need? > Battlefield Boundaries ---- These are also important to remember. Boundaries identify the conditions of and the conditions for the battle. They come in various forms. . . . boundaries of time, place, enemy, and method. Anytime one is engaged in spiritual warfare, he needs to recognize those God-ordained boundaries and work within them. Be sure you're fighting in the right place, . . . . at the appropriate time, . . . . using the proper means. And, make sure you really know who your enemy is. I've written about this before, but it needs to be reiterated. Even the most casual glance at the history books of wars will reveal the great importance of timing, location, knowledge of the enemy and its resources, and the proper method and weapons of battle. + Protocol's Discipline: Perhaps this may be the most difficult to follow for many of us. We're prone to either run from the battle in fear, or rush into battle unprepared and against orders. Either way, to do so is to break rank. To break rank is to go against the command of your superior, and it is to abandon your compatriots. It is to display reckless arrogance before your fellow soldiers, leaving them in danger. It is to lose your sense of objectivity and logic, therefore putting yourself in danger of losing your head. It is to demonstrate disdain and disrespect for your commander by defying an order. It is to endanger yourself you refusing to act, or abandoning the battle. The enemy is a specialist at using the tactic of "divide and conquer", and he knows that an undisciplined soldier is a prisoner just waiting to be captured. Scripture is filled with instruction to "put on the whole armor of God", "suffer hardship as a good soldier", "stand fast", "fight the good fight of faith", and so forth. It's clear that the Protocol of Discipline is what enables you to fight, and to fight well. The best soldier may not be the one who knows the most or who is the strongest, but it will almost always be the one who is well disciplined. He knows how to control his thoughts, his emotions, his own ambitions, his fears, . . . FINALLY: By now, my friend, you know that I have an imaginative mind. Sometimes I'm too logical, too theological, too mystical, too imaginative, . . . . or too absurd and illogical for my own good. So, today's letter may be one of those moments. But, it seems to me that more than once I've forgotten the protocol of spiritual warfare, and just how essential following protocol is to reaching an objective. As I look at my city, my ministry, my family . . . . I realize there is a plan God has determined, there is a way in which it is to be accomplished, there are the resources available, and there is a time and place for it all. Maybe you face some of the same issues. At any rate, have a great week remembering that we have been called to claim because He was called to Conquer. In His Bond and For His Kingdom, Bob Tolliver -- Psalm 2:8 Copyright September, 2004 Life Unlimited Ministries lifeunlimited@... http://www.hope4kiev.org/team/members.asp?ID=10 (Personal ministry) http://community.webshots.com/user/01lum for our pix albums. www.praykiev.org for our city-wide prayer movement. 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 . . . http://frangipane.org ---- for excellent brief words of encouragement from one of America's premier evangelical writers/thinkers. www.jfloydministries.org ---- great website for dealing with hurts and wounds through forgiveness. 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.LifeAction.org ---- "Life Action Outreach". www.missionamerica.org ---- "Mission America" . Other Great Resources Are: www.sermonindex.net for access to over 3900 downloadable audio sermons. 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://www.discipleshipdirect.com/ for new and fresh evangelism & discipleship materials. 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@.... http://www.christiangraphicdesign.com/premierinfo.htm Thousands of Free Christian graphics. Online Resources on Ukraine are . . . . www.uazone.net www.relc.com/kiev/index.htm www.travel.kyiv.org/map/e_kyiv.htm www.mindspring.com/~goliath74/kiev.html www.ukraineinfo.us 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.ukrainenews.com www.ukraine-observer.com -- To subscribe, send ANY message to: shoulders-subscribe@...> To unsubscribe, send ANY message to: shoulders-unsubscribe@...