INSIDE THIS ISSUE
september 2010
The Sound of a Nation
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3 KEYS TO SPIRITUAL WAR 11
KNOW YOUR ADVERSARY
19 FEATURES 7 THE SOUND OF A NATION God wants to hear the sound of faith released over a nation. You are His chosen vessel. God wants to hear the sound of your faith. The sound of faith is a sound that is filled with the very DNA of Almighty God. 11 THREE KEYS TO SPIRITUAL WAR The issue of demonic possession and oppression was common knowledge in the early church. Do we think that somehow the switch was turned off and suddenly everyone in the future wouldn’t have to deal with this reality? 19 KNOW YOUR ADVERSARY
The title “Satan” occurs 53 times in 47 verses in the Bible. The Greek word is satanas and the Hebrew is satan. The primary idea is ‘adversary, one who withstands.’ It points to Satan as the opponent of God, of believers, and all that is right and good. 1
Prayer Matters Magazine 3 September 2010
INSIDE THIS ISSUE
september 2010
QA
21 THIS MONTH
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Calendar
05 FRONTLINE
Book Reviews
15 Q & A 17 PRAYER SECRETS 21 BOOK REVIEWS 23 CALENDAR
PR AYER SECRETS
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On The Cover: God’s Word “The grass withers, the flower fades, But the word of our God stands forever.” Isaiah 40:8
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SEPTEMBER | frontline
“Take a Stand”
PEOPLE OF PRAYER
The Joshua Group’s theme for our conference this year is, “Take A Stand”. As I put the final touches on my message for that day, the Lord reminds me that it is our responsibility to stand up for Christ wherever we live on the earth. We must take a stand for our God. Although our spiritual enemies have been defeated, we are charged with the task of dominating them and keeping them at bay and under our feet. Many Christians don’t understand spiritual warfare, but what is easy to understand is this: you cannot live in victory and dominate your spiritual enemies unless you are walking in the fullness of the Lord. Being a ‘lukewarm’ Christian is not an option. As most Christians know, being lukewarm is not acceptable to God (Revelation 3:16). If you are living on the fence or walking as the world does, you are in for a rough road ahead. I encourage you to examine your walk with God. Are you lukewarm? If so, you will not be able to dominate your spiritual enemies. Christ gives us all we need to be successful and prosperous in our lives, when we move according to His Word and His Power. Take a stand and enjoy the complete blessings and favor of God. v RICK THORP, Publisher
PRAYER MATTERS MAGAZINE is a premier online publication that educates, empowers and engages Christians around the world. It challenges readers to take responsibility to advance the Kingdom of God. The mission of PMM is to equip individuals to become more effective in prayer, fasting and spiritual warfare. To submit an article to be considered for publication; if you have comments or questions; or for advertising opportunities, email: contact@prayermattersmagazine.org Copyright Notice: The written and visual contents of this magazine are protected by copyright. Excepting translations, you may not reproduce our articles online or in print without first obtaining written permission. Once you receive permission, inform us where and when the article will be reprinted. Prayer Matters Magazine articles cannot be reprinted without obtaining permission and notifying the magazine. Prayer Matters Magazine is a ministry of The Joshua Group. Copyright © 2010 Prayer Matters Magazine. All Rights Reserved. 5
Prayer Matters Magazine 3 September 2010
The Sound of
What is the sound of your nation? What is the sound of your life? What does that sound attract? Because of sin and the fall of man Adam ran and hid from the sound of God approaching. He hid because God's sound was now contrary to the dark sound surrounding him, and the difference he heard caused him fear and pain. Adam's eyes had been opened to reveal himself, and his thoughts were now consumed by his nakedness. Darkness found a place to dwell! What is the sound of the words that God is hearing from the people of a nation? What is the sound of your words? Words of fear, worry and anxiety attract more pain & suffering. Words of unbelief, lawlessness and even scorn for anything that pertains to God and His
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Kingdom are being spoken on a daily basis releasing a sound over your nation that can only be pleasing to the author of lawlessness. When the 12 spies returned from the Valley of Eshcol, only 2 had a good report. The other 10 angered God with their unbelief and complaining. Deuteronomy 1:34-35, “And the LORD heard the sound of your words, and was angry, and took an oath, saying, 'Surely not one of these men of this evil generation shall see that good land of which I swore to give to your fathers...” God wants to hear the sound of faith released over a nation. You are His chosen vessel. God wants to hear the sound of your faith. The sound of faith is a sound that is filled with the very DNA of Almighty God. Moses recognized
a Nation
SEPTEMBER | 2010
By Deborah Cozzetti
that sound when he turned and saw a burning bush. Though he didn't see the form of God, He knew the sound was not of this earthly realm. And being fashioned after the likeness of God, his spirit knew it was the Almighty, Creator of heaven and earth.
because of the cloud; for the glory of the LORD filled the house of God.”
And then in 2 Chronicles 5:13-14 how faith, praise and unity brought the glory of the Lord: “ indeed it came to pass, when the trumpeters and singers were as one, to make one sound to be heard in praising and thanking the LORD, and when they lifted up their voice with the trumpets and cymbals and instruments of music, and praised the LORD, saying: "For He is good, For His mercy endures forever," that the house, the house of the LORD, was filled with a cloud, so that the priests could not continue ministering
As we listen to the news and are aware of the state of our respective nations, God wants us to know how to stand before Him and intercede on the nations behalf. The condition of our heart as we cry out to the Lord is important. Are we complaining, grumbling or double-minded? It is the righteous that He delivers. It is the sound of a righteous cry that will deliver a nation. Psalms 34:17-19: “The righteous cry out, and the LORD hears, And delivers them out of all their troubles. The LORD is near
As we, His children lift our voices in faith in who He is and what He can do, God will hear that sound and respond with justice. Just as He did for Israel when they cried out from God, in His mercy gives us a sound out of their bondage. Exodus 2:23-25 says, “Now it His Living Word, and then speaks it unto our happened in the process of time that the king of hearts. Through prophetic words He reveals Egypt died. Then the children of Israel groaned the future written in our heavenly books that because of the bondage, and they cried out; and were finished before we were ever born. These their cry came up to God because of the bondwords from His heart repeated age. So God heard their groanon our lips attract His power ing, and God remembered His and grace to perform what He “God wants us to covenant with Abraham, with has pronounced! Isaac, and with Jacob. And God know how to stand looked upon the children of Israbefore Him and Look at what happened in 1 el, and God acknowledged them.” Samuel 4:6-7 when Israel’s We are also His children with a intercede on the enemy heard the sound of becovenant. nations behalf.” lief coming from their camp: “Now when the Philistines heard Our Lord knows the lawlessthe noise of the shout, they said, "What does ness that is in the nations, it comes before the sound of this great shout in the camp of the Him daily. But He also hears the sound of your Hebrews mean?" Then they understood that the voice. 2 Samuel 22: “In my distress I called upon ark of the LORD had come into the camp. So the the LORD, and cried out to my God; He heard my Philistines were afraid, for they said, "God has voice from His temple, And my cry entered His come into the camp!” ears.”
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SEPTEMBER | 2010 to those who have a broken heart, And saves such as have a contrite spirit. Many are the aff lictions of the righteous, But the LORD delivers him out of them all.” That is great news! God wants to show Himself strong as we release His desires for our nations. God is waiting for us to release the sound of faith. Luke 18:6-8 says, “Then the Lord said, "Hear what the unjust judge said. And shall God not avenge His own elect who cry out day and night to Him, though He bears long with them? I tell you that He will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will He really find faith on the earth?” Paul wrote in 2 Timothy 3:12 that all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution. Persecution will come as we stand for what God says in His word, and for the principles that we know and understand are the only answer to bring blessings into a nation. But rejoice in the fact that this is the time that the Lord chose for you to live! He has fully equipped you to co-labor with Him in releasing His justice into the world. Be not afraid! Psalms 56:8-1:, “ You number my wan-
derings; Put my tears into Your bottle; Are they not in Your book? When I cry out to You, Then my enemies will turn back; This I know, because God is for me. In God (I will praise His word), In the LORD (I will praise His word), In God I have put my trust; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?” God is waiting for the sound of a nation to change. Rejoice! Go forth! Take dominion! You are that agent for change. v
Deborah Cozzetti is Founder and President of ROAR Ministries, in Puyallup, Washington. Deborah is strong in prophetic intercession, worship and teaching the prophetic word. ROAR Ministries believes in being a voice in the community and with that, Deborah helped to start a local school district coalition named Franklin Pierce YOUTH FIRST! in 2001 and was chair for the first two years of operation. She currently is co-chair but stepped down as chair in 2003-2004 to help start a nonprofit organization on behalf of homeless and displaced youth in her county. In February of 2004, ‘Youth Resources’ became a recognized nonprofit organization. Deborah has been the Executive Director of Youth Resources since 2004. Under “Dabar Ministries”, a writing ministry, Deborah teaches the Word of God, declaring the heart & truth of the Lord and destroying the false spirit of this age. www.roarministries.com
“Pray, and let God worry.” ~Martin Luther
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3 Keys to Spiritual War by Rick Thorp
Spiritual warfare is a taboo subject for many Christians. I wonder why? The Bible is full of references that Satan and his minions are real, and working tirelessly to destroy us. One of the most telling scriptures in the Bible about the seriousness of spiritual warfare is when Jesus Himself asked the Father to protect His followers from the evil one (John 17:15). It is clear that Jesus was concerned that there was a threat. There
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are many more scriptures that instruct God’s children about issues of the enemy. 1 Peter 5:8-9 declares that we are to “be self-controlled and alert. Our enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.” James 4:7 tells us to “submit ourselves to God, to resist the devil, and he will flee from us”. And one of the most important passages in the Bible relating to spiritual warfare is Ephesians 6 where we are told to “put on the whole armor of God so that we are able to stand against the schemes of the devil.” It goes on to tell us that “we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.” The Devil’s existence is taught from Genesis to Revelation. Every New Testament writer refers to Satan’s reality and activity as a personal being. Christ affirmed it Himself. Jesus cast out demons and instructed His followers to do the same. The issue of demonic possession and oppression was common knowledge in the early church. Do we think that somehow the switch was turned off and suddenly everyone in the future wouldn’t have to deal with this reality? Do some Christians believe that demons and Satan disappeared? Does the fact that many shy away from discussing the underworld somehow make it go away? Of course the answer is a resounding “NO”. Satan and demons are real and we should not be deceived into thinking they don’t exist today. Does this mean that you have to run out and start conducting exorcisms on everybody? Of course not! But it is vital that every Christian understands how to fight and overcome an enemy who wants to kill, steal, and destroy us (John 10:10). All Christians need to have a foundational knowledge concerning these things.
Although spiritual warfare can get complicated, for this article, I am going to put it into simple terms. Any Christian, newly saved or a believer for years, can use this effective strategy when being bombarded by Satan’s attack. God’s Word is the final say. It is alive and active (Hebrews 4:12) and it will never fade away (Isaiah 40:8). The enemy cannot stand up against God’s Word because he knows that it is the truth. The devil and his followers hate the truth and must bow down to it at all times. All it takes for the Christian is to declare the Word of God, with faith, and it will expose and defeat the strategies of darkness. The three keys to spiritual war are: • Proclaim who God is • Proclaim who you are • Proclaim who the enemy is These proclamations come straight from God’s Word. How can the enemy stand against the Christian if God’s Word rules over every situation that you are in? Will everything in your life go perfect? No. Will everything be a bed of roses? No. But one thing is for sure - Satan and his demons will not be able to do their work against you as long as they are under your feet where they belong. The devil knows the power of the Word. The primary thing that the devil wants to do with the Christian is to keep them from using God’s Word. Once the Word is introduced and the believer uses it actively, the enemy has no chance. When you are under attack (and even if you’re not), declare who God is, declare who you are, and declare who the enemy is. Read the following scriptures out loud on a regular basis, add your faith, don’t give up, and you will be successful in spiritual warfare.
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PROCLAIM WHO GOD IS: Oh God, you are the Rock, your works are perfect, and all your ways are just. You are a faithful God who does no wrong. (Deuteronomy 32:4) You are the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, I give you honor and glor y for ever and ever. (1 Timothy 1:17) Oh Lord, You are love. (1 John 4:16 ) Great is the Lord and most worthy of praise; Your greatness no one can fathom. (Psalm 145:3) Your way is perfect; the word of the Lord is f lawless. You are a shield for all who take refuge in You. (Psalm 18:30) Sovereign Lord, You have made the heavens and the earth by Your great power and outstretched arm. Nothing is too hard for You. (Jeremiah 32:17) You are righteous in all Your ways, and holy in all Your works. (Psalm 145:17) There is no one holy like the Lord; there is no one besides you; there is no Rock like our God. (1 Samuel 2:2) By Your word the heavens were made, And all the host of them by the breath of Your mouth. (Psalm 33:6) For the Lord is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations. (Psalms 100:5)
You are the Lord, the God of all f lesh. There is nothing too hard for you. (Jeremiah 32:27) For the Word of the Lord is right; and all Your works are done in truth. (Psalm 33:4) You are good, A stronghold in the day of trouble; And You know those who trust in You. (Nahum 1:7) To You belong wisdom and power; counsel and understanding are Yours. (Job 12:13)
PROCL AIM WHO YOU ARE: I have obtained salvation through believing in Jesus Christ (1 Thessalonians 5:9) and my sins have been forgiven. (Acts 13:38) I have eternal life (John 3:36) and am a child of God. (John 1:12) I am a new creation where old things have passed away and all things have become new. (2 Corinthians 5:17) I am part of a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a person for God’s own possession, that I may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called me out of darkness into His mar velous light. (1 Peter 2:9) Jesus has equipped me in ever y good thing to do His will. (Hebrews 13:21) I am confident that He who began a good work in me will perfect it until the day of our Lord. (Philippians 1:6)
You are the First and the Last; besides You there is no God. (Isaiah 44:6)
For God has not given me a spirit of fear, but of power and love and a sound mind. (2 Timothy 1:7)
Great is the Lord and mighty in power; Your understanding has no limit. (Psalm 147:5)
In Him I have been enriched in ever y way (1 Corinthians 1:5), with ever y spiritual bless-
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ing in the heavenly places in Christ. (Ephesians 1:3).
The Lord will rescue me from ever y evil attack of the enemy. (2 Timothy 4:18)
I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. (Philippians 4:13). My body is the temple of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 3:16) and I posses His fruit of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control (Galatians 5:22-23)
He who is in me is greater than he who is in the world. (1 John 4:4) I resist you and you will f lee from me. (James 4:7) No weapon formed against me shall prosper, and ever y tongue which rises against me in judgment I shall condemn. (Isaiah 54:17)
Christ is my peace (Ephesians 2:14) and all things are working together for my good. (Romans 8:28)
Jesus has given me authority to overcome all the power of the enemy. (Luke 10:19)
God has said that He will never leave me or forsake me. (Hebrews 13:5)
W hatsoever is bound on earth shall be bound in heaven. (Matthew 18:18)
PROCL AIM WHO THE DEVIL IS: Satan, you accuser (Rev. 12:10), according to God’s Word: I can advance against my enemies by God’s power. (Psalms 18:28).
Proclaiming who God is, who we are in Christ and who the devil is, sets things in their rightful place. By speaking these things out loud, all parties hear - God, us and the enemy. God’s Word through us is powerful and mighty for the pulling down of strongholds (2 Corinthians 10:4).W hen it comes to Spiritual war, remember - God’s Word rules! v
The devil now stands condemned. (John 16:11) Jesus disarmed your power and authority and made a public spectacle of you, triumphing over you by the cross. (Colossians 2:13-15) The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil’s work. (1 John 3:8) You shall be thrown into the lake of fire and brimstone, and will be tormented day and night forever and ever. (Revelation 20:10) I have been rescued from the domain of darkness and have been brought into the Kingdom of God (Colossians 1:13), and I am protected from the evil one. (2 Thessalonians 3:3)
Pastor Rick Thorp is the Founder and President of The Joshua Group, a multifaceted prayer movement that includes ministries such as Prayer Matters Magazine; Prayer-for-a-Million; and PrayerMap, a unique prayer program for churches. Mr. Thorp has been in church leadership for over 31 years and is ordained under John Eckhardt, Founder and Presiding Apostle of The IMPACT Network. Pastor Rick is a passionate writer, speaker and teacher with a mission to spread revival and the power of God to the saved and unsaved alike. He resides in Tacoma, Washington, USA, with his wife Jennifer; has a daughter Ashley and two grandchildren. www.thejoshuagrouponline.org
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Q SEPTEMBER | q and a
I have heard of the term, ‘harp and bowl’ worship and prayer. What is that referring too?
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A SEPTEMBER | q and a
The harp and bowl style of worship, which features musical prayer, derives its name from Revelation 5:8, which describes heavenly creatures which each “had a harp” and “were holding golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints.” Prayer is sung or spoken along with music and is used to sustain long periods of worship such as 24 hour prayer. This is used in Mike Bickle’s 24 hour International House of Prayer center in Kansas City who have used this method of worship to sustain a prayer meeting since September 1999. At the same time, in many other places around the world, God placed desires and plans for 24/7 prayer in the fabric of diverse ministries and in the hearts of leaders. This has resulted in 24/7 houses of prayer being established all over the world. The basic 24 hour harp and bowl worship model uses four different prayer formats: intercessory prayer, prophetic worship, worship with the Word and devotional worship prayer. A common feature of harp and bowl is antiphonal singers, who use the Bible as a song book, singing and declaring the Word of God along with instruments that accompany the singers. In harp and bowl, the major focus is not the singers or the musicians, but the One being worshiped in such a setting. v
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Twelve Powerful Prayer Secrets
2 Kings 19:14: “And Hezekiah received the letter from the hand of the messengers, and read it; and Hezekiah went up to the house of the LORD, and spread it before the LORD. 15 Then Hezekiah prayed before the LORD, and said: “O LORD God of Israel, the One who dwells between the cherubim, You are God, You alone, of all the kingdoms of the earth. You have made heaven and earth. 16 Incline Your ear, O LORD, and hear; open Your eyes, O LORD, and see; and hear the words of Sennacherib, which he has sent to reproach the living God. 17 Truly, LORD, the kings of Assyria have laid waste the nations and their lands, 18 and have cast their gods into the fire; for they were not gods, but the work of men’s hands—wood and stone. Therefore they destroyed them. 19 Now therefore, O LORD our God, I pray, save us from his hand, that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that You are the LORD God, You alone.”
by Pastor Terry Harris
can be rocked over the news you just received. We know that bad news can come at any time. The key is knowing what to do when it comes. We need to go to scripture.
There are many people in the Bible that have been in bad situations; Hezekiah was one. Take a look at what he did. In the natural, Hezekiah knew that he did not have the military force to go against the Assyrians. He knew the odds were overwhelming; Israel would be destroyed. So He took a letter and spread it before the Lord. You can do the same – write down what you are told and take your letter and follow what Hezekiah did. Go into the sanctuary and spread it before the Lord. Take that scenario to God, understandMature Christians know that there are times ing that He is the same yesterday, today and when bad things happen. Disappointments, forever. Hezekiah spread it before the Lord trials, tests and challenges can come. There and got wonderful results. It worked for are times when bad news you get can be Hezekiah, it can work for you. Why? I beoverwhelming. Even the strong and mature lieve that this type of sincerity, boldness and Christian can experience emotional distress consecration really moves God. I believe that and disbelief for a short period; your world God sits on the throne and says, “Wow, they
To set the stage, Sennacherib is the King of Assyria and he has been marching across the land and wiping out everybody. His army is gigantic. He has sent Hezekiah a letter saying that Hezekiah was next; he put Hezekiah on notice that he was coming to take Israel out. He boasted that there was nothing that could stop the Assyrian army. This is what the letter said that Hezekiah carried into the House of the Lord.
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SEPTEMBER | 2010 are using scripture”, and we know God loves it when we follow scripture.
look good, but You gave me the vision and I ask You to defend that vision”. W hen you are facing bad news and you are facing Hezekiah didn't go home and spread out the over whelming odds, go into the sanctuar y letter. The Bible says that Hezekiah went and lay out your letter and begin to pray. to the house of the Lord. So if you are going Start by talking to God about the vision He to pray in this manner, I encourage you to has given to you. Ask God to defend the vigo to the house of the Lord just like Heze- sion. W hen it is God’s name at stake, He kiah did. After he prayed, this is what hap- will protect it to the end. Understand that pened: "then Isaiah the son of Amoz said to with this prayer you are asking that God Hezekiah saying , ‘ Thus says the Lord God moves for you, but you are also asking that of Israel, that which thou has prayed to me God gets all the glor y. You want ever yone against Sennacherib King of Assyria, I have to know that it was God that did it. Your heard.’ Hezekiah prayed and God heard the battle will be no battle at all, because God prayer. Obviously, Hezekiah did it right. will move in and take the lead and God will get the glor y. W hat was his process? Step one, he laid the letter out. Physically Hezekiah gave God a Pray this: Father I come with praise and visual aid. You should also show God what thanksgiving. I have received bad news, and you are facing. Put it all down on paper God, the bad news I have is laid out for you and put it before Him. Secondly, Hezekiah right here on the altar. I am now facing overprayed. He expressed his heart and need whelming odds. Father, I ask that you bow before His King. And what happened? God down your ear and hear, and open your eyes let him know that He heard that prayer. Af- and see the words and actions of the people ter he prayed, this is what happened - vers- that have come against me. Now, Father, I ask es 32-34: “ Therefore, thus says the Lord that you save me out of their hands. This is concerning the King of Assyria, he shall coming right from Hezekiah. He showed me not come into this city, nor shoot an arrow to pray this way before you. Father, let them there, nor come before it with shields, nor know that you are the Lord God, and that You cast a bank against it. By the way that he are my God, and that it was You who moved on came, by the same shall he return and shall my behalf. I ask in Jesus name, Amen. v not come into this city, says the Lord. For I will defend this city to save it for my own TERRY HARRIS is the Founder sake and for my ser vant David's sake.” And and Senior Pastor of Tacoma if you read the rest, you will see that God Christian Center in Tacoma, utterly crushed the Assyrian army. God Washington. With Pastor Harris’ not only said He heard Hezekiah, but in His leadership, the church, with over 1200 members, has been a powerhearing , He devised and enacted a plan that ful force in the city and the entire made the Assyrians subject to Him directly. We are always on good ground when we are asking God to perform His Word. If God has spoken a word to you regarding a situation, ask God to defend that word. “God, this is a prophetic word and I need You to fight for the ver y prophetic word that You spoke into my heart. In the natural it doesn't
Western Washington region. After close to 30 years of vision and commitment, the church campus encompasses over 1-1/2 city blocks, and along with the sanctuary and offices, it includes a restaurant and a state-of-the-art gymnasium named Winners. In addition to operating a large church, Pastor Harris has taught God’s Word via a weekly television broadcast, serves on numerous Boards, has authored a book and continues to be a integral leader of the community.
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Know Your Adversary SEPTEMBER | knowledge
Specific Names Applied to Satan Satan (Job 1:6-9; Matt. 4:10) The title “Satan” occurs 53 times in 47 verses in the Bible. The Greek word is satanas and the Hebrew is Satan. The primary idea is ‘adversary, one who withstands.’ It points to Satan as the opponent of God, of believers, and all that is right and good. We should note, however, that Satan often appears as an angel of light promising what is supposed to be good (Gen. 3:1; 2 Cor. 11:14), but it is only a sham to further aid him in his work as the arch enemy and adversary in opposition to God and what is truly good. The Devil (Matt. 4:1, 5, 9; Eph. 4:27; Rev. 12:9; 20:2) “Devil” is the Greek word diabollos which means “slanderer, defamer.” This accentuates his goal and work to impugn the character of God. This is clearly spelled out in 1 Peter 5:8 where he is called “our adversary.” This is not satanas, but antidikos meaning “the adversary.” While similar in meaning, it is more explicit from the standpoint of Satan’s adversarial activity as the defamer and maligner of God and believers. Antidikos refers to ‘an opponent in a lawsuit’ often used of a courtroom scene where accusations are made. God indicted Satan, found him guilty, and sentenced him to the Lake of Fire. As will be discussed below, it appears Satan appealed the sentence by calling God unfair, unjust, and unloving. So, as God’s opponent and ours, he is the slanderer. The Serpent (Rev. 12:9) This name for Satan looks back to the account in Genesis 3 and the temptation in the Garden. It is designed to remind us of his crafty deception and guile (2 Cor. 11:2; Rev. 12:9). Lucifer, Son of the Morning (Isa. 14:12) These two names mean “morning star or shining one and son of the dawn (Isa. 14:12). The Hebrew word for Lucifer (KJV translation) is helel, literally “the shining one.” It comes from a Hebrew form, halal.
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Prayer Matters Magazine 3 September 2010
Significantly, the form has two meaning: (1) it means “to shine,” or it can mean, depending on the context, (2) “to boast or praise.” Ironically, as the shining one he got his eyes off the Lord, the source of his brilliance, became proud and boastful instead of full of praise to God’s glory. This name draws our attention to his pre-fall condition and to the nature of the cause of his fall—pride. The Evil One (John 17:15; 1 John 5:9) In these two passages, Satan is described of as “the evil one.” The Greek adjective, ponhros, means “wicked, evil, bad, base, worthless, vicious, degenerate.” In both passages it has the article and in either case it may be either masculine, “the evil one,” or neuter, “the wickedness or evil.” Though the KJV translates John 17:15 as “the evil” and 1 John 5:9 as “lieth in wickedness,” nearly all other translations including the NKJV have “the evil one.” It is thus seen as a reference to the devil. Ponhros points to Satan’s character as active and malignant. It denotes what is not only ugly and useless, but what is injurious and destructive. Satan, as the ponhros one is actively engaged in destruction, in causing pain, injury, and death. He is a cancer to the human race. John’s statement also shows how the world lies under his evil and sinister grasp. The Dragon (Rev. 12:7) In this passage Satan is called “the dragon.” The Greek word is drakwn and refers to a “hideous monster, a dragon, or large serpent.” This word stresses the cruel, vicious, and blood thirsty character and power of Satan. This name is especially related to his end-time character and world system when God removes all restraints and allows him to go his natural way, to become what he naturally is. The Prince or Ruler (John 12:31) Some translation have “prince” and others “ruler” as in John 12:31. The Greek o arcwn tou kosmou toutou literally means, “the ruler of this world system.” This
SEPTEMBER | knowledge points to Satan as the head and energy behind the arrangements of things as they are in the world today in their opposition against God, His plan, and people. The God of This World or Age (2 Cor. 4:4) The fact Satan is called, the god of this world (Greek, aiwnos, “age, course”) may emphasize Satan’s rulership over this final period or economy which is so marked by a growing increase in apostasy, deception, and moral decay. In Galatians 1:4, Paul calls this “the present evil age.” The Prince of the Power of the Air (Eph. 2:2) This designation points to Satan as the head of the demonic hosts (Eph. 2:2) which includes all the fallen angelic beings who operate night and day in our immediate atmosphere filling the world with Satan’s propaganda, deception, viewpoint, doubts and temptations. Though the word “power” is singular, many commentaries believe it refers to the demonic forces as a corporate body, all of whom operate as one organized body under Satan, their ruler (see Eph. 6:12). The NIV even translates it “kingdom.” “Air” is the Greek word ahr and may refer to the immediate atmosphere above the earth which is their base of operations—the domain of their power, authority, and influence. It is also the vehicle or medium of their evil influence. As spirit beings they operate in the realm of the air. However, it not only looks at the locality of their operations, but emblematically portrays the prevailing influence or spiritual atmosphere in which every individual and the world moves—an atmosphere of demonic influence controlled by Satan. The Spirit Who Works in the Sons of Disobedience (Eph. 2:2) This is a somewhat debated clause. Many take this to be another title for Satan. It is understood as a further description of “the prince of the power.” He is also “the spirit who is now working …” The Wycliffe Bible Commentary has, “This obviously refers to Satan. Others take the position that it cannot refer to Satan on grammatical grounds. Instead, it is much like our own “the spirit of the age” and refers to the disposition, the outlook, the way of thinking and acting which one finds in the children of disobedience. The Accuser of the Brethren (Rev. 12:10) While some might list this as simply one of the characterizations of Satan, it is so much a part of his behavior, it seems fitting to list it under his names. Satan is thus called “the Accuser,” a fitting title because night and day he is at work accusing believers when they sin. The Greek word for “accuser” is kathgwr, which refers to
one who brings condemning accusations against others. One of Satan’s daily activities is to accuse believers before God, but in view of Job 1 and 2, this is also an attempt to malign the character of God and His plan. Thankfully, since none of us are sinless (1 John 1:9-10), we have the Lord Jesus as our continuous Advocate to plead our case (Rom. 8:33-34; 1 John 2:1-2). The Tempter (Matt. 4:3; 1 Thess. 3:5) The Actuality: In the above two passages, Satan is specifically called “the Tempter.” Again, while we might simply list this among his characterizations, it seems fitting to see this as a name for the devil. This title reveals him in another of his primary activities as seen from the very beginning with Eve in the Garden of Eden (Gen. 3). Belial (2 Cor. 6:15) This name means “worthless” or “hopeless ruin.” In 2 Corinthians, Paul uses it as a name for Satan as the epitome of worthlessness, hopeless ruin and the source of all idolatry and religion which is also hopeless or futile. Beelzebul (Matt. 12:24; Mark 3:22) There are three possible spellings of this word and each has a different meaning: (1)Beelzebul means “lord of the dung,” a name of reproach. (2) Beelzebub means “lord of the flies.” Either one of these are names of reproach and are names of uncleanness applied to Satan, the prince of the demons and uncleanness. (3) Beelzeboul, means, “the lord of the dwelling.” This would identify Satan as the god of unclean spirit of demon possession. Some believe this spelling and meaning fits better with Matthew 10:25 and 12:29. This spelling also has the best manuscript evidence behind it. Note that Matthew, Mark, and Luke all define Beelzeboul as the prince of demons. So this names epitomizes Satan as the leader of the demon hosts and the cause of the demon possession. Abaddon, Apollyon (Rev. 9:11) Abaddon is the Greek form and Apollyon is the Hebrew equivalent. These words mean ‘destroyer,’ ‘destruction.’ The name connects Satan as the head over the demons of the abyss and their work of destruction that will occur when he is given the key to the abyss in the Tribulation and releases these demon hordes on the people of the earth. Primarily, however, this title stresses his work of destruction; he works to destroy the glory of God and God’s purpose with man. He further works to destroy societies and mankind. v Information obtained from bible.org
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EDUCATION | bookshelf
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BOO B book
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The Beginner’s Guide to Signs, Wonders and The Supernatural Life James Goll
James Goll demystifies how to live the authentic lifestyle that Jesus lived and taught. He explains how believers can fully grasp the way in which the Kingdom of God makes inroads into the kingdom of darkness through a life dependent on the Holy Spirit. As Goll states, each time you treat someone with love, exercise a spiritual gift, surrender to the Lordship of Jesus, seek guidance from God or achieve a victory over the power of darkness, you are living the supernatural life that Jesus won for you. If you’ve ever felt too earthbound and ordinary to experience signs, wonders and other manifestations of the Holy Spirit’s power, this book will challenge you to become like Jesus in character and action.
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EDUCATION | bookshelf
ENJOY
educate
GROW study
For these and other Spirit-led books, go to www.arsenalbooks.com
The Supernatural Life Cindy Jacobs
With warmth and humor, best-selling author and intercessor Cindy Jacobs tells of her own steps toward God via a stirring encounter with the Holy Spirit and how her life has forever changed. Her authentic and passionate account will help you discover how to pray to receive the power of the Holy Spirit, recognize the signs of the Holy Spirits fullness and walk in the supernatural every day. You will also find much to learn from the inspiring lives of Aimee Semple McPherson, John G. Lake, Maria Woodworth-Etter and Smith Wigglesworth in The Supernatural Life. Whether you are hungering to experience more of the Holy Spirit or you want to capture your first experience with the Holy Spirit, this book is for you.
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EVENTS | calendar
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september September 2-3 | Milwaukee, WI “ENGAGING THE REVELATORY REALM OF HEAVEN” CONFERENCE Apostles Bill & Venner Alston, Paul Keith Davis, Ana Mendez, Eyob Mamo, Brenda Kunneman, Cindy Jacobs www.citychurchmil.org Crowne Plaza Hotel - Airport 6401 South 13th Street Milwaukee, WI 53221 414.933.4199 September 3-4 | Sacramento, CA THE CALL Lou Engle www.thecall.com Raley Field 400 Ballpark Drive West Sacramento, CA 95691
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Prayer Matters Magazine 3 September 2010
September 9-12 | Oklahoma City, OK THE TRANSFERENCE OF WEALTH 2010 CONFERENCE Hank Kunneman, Pat Francis, Lidia Zapico, Judy Jacobs, Trent Cory, Curt Landry, John Benefiel www.mmim.org Cox Business Services Conv. Center 1 Myriad Gardens Oklahoma City, OK 73102 405-837-4610 September 10 | Tacoma, WA TAKE A STAND 2010 John Eckhardt, Gordon Banks, Axel Sippach, Rick Thorp www.thejoshuagrouponline.org The Temple Theater 47 Saint Helens Avenue Tacoma, WA 98402 800-795-4199 September 16-18 | Omaha, NE OPENING THE HEAVENS 2010 Hank & Brenda Kunneman, Richard Roberts, John Eckhardt, Kim Daniels www.lohchurch.org Lord of Hosts Church 5351 S 139th Plaza Omaha, NE 68137 402-896-6692
EVENTS || calendar December.09 calendar
September 16-18 | Tucson, AZ AWAKE ARIZONA TOUR 2010 Cindy Jacobs, Dutch Sheets & Lou Engle www.awakearizona.com Victory Worship Center 2561 W Ruthrauff Rd Tucson, AZ 85705 877-577-5111 September 16-18 | Shippensburg, PA WORLD CHANGERS-GOD OUT OF CONTROL Don Nori Sr, Mahesh Chavda, Ryan Wyatt, Charles Stock www.worldchangersdays.com Living Faith Chapel 8770 Possum Hollow Rd Shippensburg, PA 17257 717-532-3040 September 23-25 | Glen Falls, NY NORTH EAST PROPHETIC GATHERING Bob Jones, Paul Keith Davis, Bobby Conner Bob & Kathy Campbell www.ignitedministries.org Pine Knolls Alliance Church 614 Gansevoort Road South Glens Falls, NY 12803 585-243-9280
September 24-26 | Bozeman, MT IMPARTATION CONFERENCE 2010 Jason Upton, Jake Hamilton, Steve Thompson, and Matt Sorger www.revivalcry.com Belgrade Auditorium 303 N Hoffman Street Belgrade, MT 59714 406-522-7107
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