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 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@... FOR BACK COPIES go to http://associate.com/groups/prayKIEV. +=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+ SHOULDER TO SHOULDER #334 ---- 5304 Title: "Unseen Terrorism" My Dear Friend and Ministry Colleague: May has arrived, flowers are bursting with color, and buds on the trees are exploding into foliage. Pollen is in the air, and people are sneezing and coughing everywhere. Spring showers bring refreshing, and life is regaining the spring in its steps after a long and dreary winter. Thank you for praying for our ladies who were attempting to go to Germany. God, as is His custom, was faithful again. They received their visas less than 24 hours before time for their plane to leave. The conference was a major highlight to them, they became the "talk" of the conference as women from all over western Europe and Southeast Asia and the United States had opportunity to hear the stories of life as it continues in former Soviet countries. There was also a small delegation present from Bulgaria. FYI, I have been honored to have an article on city-reaching printed in Highlights, a quarterly magazine published by the International Baptist Convention headquartered in Frankfurt, Germany. If you'd like to read it, you can access it via the web at www.ibc-churches.org and then click on the Highlights picture. A second follow-up article will be printed in the next issue. THE UNSEEN TERRORISM: As I pondered the reality of the plague of terrorism currently ripping our world systems apart, the Lord reminded me of three statements I wrote twenty years ago in my syllabus, Reaching Cities Through Strategic Ministry and Prevailing Prayer. + "The social needs of a city exist because of hidden spiritual needs in the heart, and spiritual forces in the heavenlies." + "Satan has assigned specific principalities and powers over every community in the world." + "Before a city's actions, lifestyle, and values can be changed, those spiritual powers over it must be challenged and defeated." I have been aware for more than a month that we have personally been under severe attack from the enemy. In fact, for more than a year we have experienced various forms of attack, distractions, and obstacles to carrying out the task God has given us here in Kiev. The more we penetrated into the spiritual darkness of this city, the more we have engaged the enemy. And, it seems to have come to a head since we initiated the "PrayKIEV" prayer strategy. Most recently it became clear to me that most of the resistance we have encountered has come in the form of terrorism tactics rather than outright war. The parallel between visible human terrorism and terrorism in the spiritual dimension is uncanny. . . . almost scary. I'm convinced that the enemy is already aware of his ultimate demise, but he intends to cause as much delay as possible and inflict as much damage as he can . . . . and for the same basic reasons that any human terrorist organization . . . . to intimidate, distract, and deter our strategy. He wants to derail our efforts of proclaiming the Gospel by wearing us down, intimidating us with fear, and by dividing us. How else can you explain some of the recent things that have happened to us and to other ministries in the region? And how about where you live? Are things just coincidental? Are they unrelated to spiritual realities? Are they simply happenstance? Terrorism exists. It is evidenced everywhere. Today there are literally scores of places, perhaps even hundreds, where a different type of war is being fought. It is being fought by unique armies different from conventional military troops. It is being fought by armies that are divided into small clusters, seldom wear identifying uniforms, use unpredictable tactics, and are being propagated by radical individuals with a variety of reasons. Their objectives are also different from conventional war, their weapons are different, and even the outcome is often different. In conventional warfare, the objective is victory, the weapons are at least somewhat familiar, and the desired outcome is predictable . . . . victory or defeat at a particular place or point in time. Not so with the warfare of terrorism. It is so different that most conventional armies have little experience in how to anticipate it, much less how to meet it with force. THE OBJECTIVE OF TERRORISM: A radical Islamic cleric in a Middle Eastern country recently acknowledged that he knew that he and his special militia could not stand up against the overwhelming power of the opposing army when it came to winning the battle. But they would fight to the death for their cause. So, what, then is the point? The fascinating thing is that, for the most part, terrorists have no real expectation of actually winning the war they wage . . . . at least not by their own tactics and strengths, and probably not in their lifetimes. That's not the objective of terrorism. If you ask any terrorists leader, he'll tell you that they do not expect to win outright on a field of conventional military battle. If you examine the situation, you will see that virtually every center of terrorist activity is situated in countries where there are superior manpower and weaponry to any terrorist group in the world. It, therefore, seems appropriate to assume that, while their long term goals may be to win, their immediate objectives are not. Things are much simpler for them. If terrorism does not have winning as its immediate objective, then what might its objectives be? Let me suggest these possibilities: + Distraction. Terrorism is often used as a means of distracting people from the truly important things of life. So it is in the believer's walk. The goal of spiritual "terrorism" is not necessarily to defeat you, but to simply distract you from your objective/s. And, the more significant your objective, the more intense the attacks of distraction will be. If you can be kept busy stamping out wild fire, the less you will be able to rescue those in the burning building. The more time you have to spend chasing birds and picking up rocks (see the parable of the sower and the seed), the less time you have to plant seed. Distraction is a primary objective. Keeping you distracted will keep you from fighting the real war. It will keep you preoccupied with lesser, though not less dangerous, things. + Diversion. It's one thing to be distracted by a distant explosion during which time the enemy can silently move closer to you for a future attack. It's another thing, however, to go investigate the explosion. Such clatter should be ignored, but if it pulls you away from your primary objective, it has become a diversionary tactic the enemy has successfully used. Diversion has been successfully used as far back as Old Testament days. It was a commonly successful practice during the Civil War in America when one general would create what appeared to be a major attack in one area in order to entice his counterpart to move his troops to reinforce the seeming point of attack, thus providing the first general a major advantage to successfully attack in the abandoned area. Satan loves to concoct such diversions for us, knowing that,unless we are extremely wise, we'll shift our forces toward the meaningless diversion and leave ourselves vulnerable for certain defeat in the very area where our defenses were cut back. + Deterrence. Terrorism also is used to re-direct you away from your primary objective. It's one thing to be distracted, but it's another thing to change course. I've noticed this particularly in my recent involvement with the city-wide prayer movement in Kiev. I do not remember a time since we arrived here almost a year and a half ago when I have felt the enemy's "terrorist" attacks on me more intensely. It boggles my mind. I had anticipated this battle even before I wrote the initial letter of invitation back in February. But, I must say, that even with my knowing attacks would come, I was not fully prepared for the attempts to deter us away from what has become the passion of my heart. Strategically, logistically, and emotionally, attempts to deter us have advanced against us. Not only have I had to deal with serious attitudinal attacks and mental games, but I've been faced with discouragement over lack of response from some sources, accusations, jealousy, preoccupation with other things, fractured friendships, misunderstandings, and more. Fortunately, these attacks have come in such a concentrated form over the past four weeks that it was easy to detect what was happening. Frankly, It would be easy for me to simply return to other less important things. At one point, the attacks were so great that I have seriously entertained packing up and going back to the States . . . . sometimes five or six times in a single day. Serious attempts were being made to deter me from the vision and the task God placed in my hands. Perhaps you may remember times when some type of unseen opposition or oppression caused you to change course and settle for something less than or other than the original objective. And you satisfied your mind with some type of rationalized compromise. The "Terrorism" worked. + Weariness. Terrorism is designed to wear you down. It is built on the philosophy that making numerous hit and run attacks designed to fray your emotions to the point of emotional exhaustion will eventually be your demise. From there it is only a matter of time before you body begins to feel it. Even this past week Jo Ann and I both found ourselves emotionally spent and physically exhausted . . . . and yet, we hadn't done anything to make us seriously weary. There was only one reason for it . . . . spiritual terrorism. + Fear. I believe this is a priority goal of terrorism. . . . to create fear in the hearts of those who are being attacked so viciously and unexpectedly. The possibility of instantaneous death or permanent crippling will put fear in the heart of the bravest of souls. Being burned alive, blown apart, or riddled with bullets is not the death of choice; most of us would prefer to live a long, fruitful life, and then just be ushered into God's presence at an old age. Terrorism steals the possibility of a peaceful death from us. If we are not walking in the anointing presence and power of the Holy Spirit, encouraged and calmed by His touch, our hearts can embrace the spirit of fear, even though we know it does not come from God. Soldiers who have become afraid are not of the caliber needed for prolonged strategic warfare, even when knowing that ultimate victory is assured. We're not afraid that victory could evade us; we're afraid of what might stand between where we are now and the victory for which we toil. + Division. I've seen this first hand recently. Spiritual terrorism is much like literal terrorism in that it creates division. Look at how it works around the world. Whether it is Spain, England, Iraq, the U.S., the Philippines, Indonesia, or any other country, division has certainly come in every place where terrorism has run rampant. The tragedy is that the division within terrorist groups always seems to be overcome, but division within the ranks of the victims increases. That division is sometimes so severe that political parties are divided within themselves and a less-than-best leader is elected to lead into a downward profile of acquiescence and compromise. Look at how many political leaders have been voted out of office in the past two months . . . . all because of division created by the attacks of terrorism. I can just see these little clusters of militants laughing around hidden campfires. Even worse, I see the little clusters of demons gathered around the campfires of hell cackling over the divisions they have successfully caused in the Body of Christ because some believers didn't have enough common sense to see what was happening. THE TOOLS OF TERRORISM: While terrorists often have the same weaponry as conventional armies, they usually don't have them in abundance. As a result, they resort to special weapons often not recognized as weapons, and they use them effectively to their own advantage. + Time. Terrorists are in no hurry. They have lots of time. And, the time they use, and how they use it, will be of their own choosing. That's why Jesus told us to work while it is day, and why Peter reminded us to be on the alert at all times. Time isn't important to terrorists, but it is to those they are attacking. If you don't think that's true, take a few minutes, if your stomach can handle it, to read or listen to the news media covering the war in Iraq. Their entire frame of reference has to do with numbers . . . . the numbers of casualty and time. To heed their commentaries, you'd think that President Bush was a blood thirsty warmonger methodically killing off innocent civilians and driving our young heroes to their deaths. It's all about time and casualties. You can be sure that spiritual terrorism uses time to its advantage, just as earthly terrorism does in the visible world. + Surprise. Terrorism will not work if it does not have the element of surprise. If there is no surprise, then it reverts to conventional fighting where the ground is more level. If a convoy knows a roadside bomb has been planted just ahead, the attack can be thwarted before it happens. Preemptive action can be taken to defuse it. Many of the attacks I have recently encountered came as a total surprise to me. The element of surprise generally related to places, people, intensity, or circumstance. But, such things should actually not come as a surprise. My surprise should be that I was surprised by the surprise. Frankly, the element of surprise should never find me not ready. The surprise should not be a surprise, and the unexpected should always be expected. I must be on the alert at all times. + Secrecy. Secrecy also gives terrorism an upper hand, and spiritual terrorists know how to use it well. Virtually all successful terrorists attacks were both planned and launched in the darkness of secrecy. When things are known ahead of time, one can be ready. Terrorists scout for vulnerability, sometimes for years, within the cloak of secrecy. Their plans are developed in secret, and the time and place are kept secret until the attack takes place, even within their own ranks. That's one reason there are usually so many casualties, including innocent bystanders. And, secrecy capitalizes on the added element of the shock effect once the attack has been launched. Spiritual terrorism is no different. I'm sure you can remember your mouth dropping and your eyes widening when you learned of a brother or sister who fell into sin. You had no idea! It was all shrouded in secrecy. Even the one who was guilty, never intended to be such a victim. Secrecy is a strategic weapon for spiritual terrorism. + Intimidation. I mentioned earlier that I do not believe terrorists expect to win a particular battle . . . . they just intend to intimidate. And they can do it quite successfully. Recent events bear out that fact. You can call it anything else you want, but it still boils down to intimidation that causes a country to pull its troops from the battle. Just as it is the intent of the terrorists to pick away at the coalition forces until they pull out, it is also the intent of spiritual terrorists to do the same. They don't particularly care if you lose, but they do want you to quit. To them, quitting is the same as losing. Either way, they win. + Patient Endurance. Terrorism as an art of warfare has been going on for centuries around the world. It has become blatantly apparent in the western world since the 1980's. It has been taking place particularly in the Pacific Rim and in South America longer than that. Today, however, it is a world-wide epidemic. Why? Because it was not recognized for what it was early on, and it was not treated with adequate terminating force in its infancy. The longer terrorism is allowed to live, the more bold it becomes. Knowing that, terrorism is a warfare tactic that is patient and resilient. Likewise, Satan and his hordes, are in no hurry. They can wait . . . . and they will wait . . . . for the opportune time and place. Our greatest danger is that we assume that the lack of visual sightings means they have given up. They haven't. THE OUTCOME OF TERRORISM: While there may be differing motives for terrorist attacks the outcome is fairly predictable. One or more of the following consequences is almost inevitable unless spiritual terrorism is expected and successfully resisted. + Damage. There will almost always be damage of some type. You may not be a victim yourself, but there will be either people, plans, or resources that are negatively affected as a result of the enemy attack. And, sometimes the biggest setback comes in having to recover resources, replace people, or change plans. But, the damage has been done . . . . and it eats up time and energy to do the repair work ---- time and energy that would have otherwise been used in continuing the offensive. + Death. Unfortunately, death can also occur in a terrorist attack . . . . more often than not. It can be the "death" of a colleague, a plan, a vision, or an opportunity. It appears that terrorists don't generally have any particular numeric goal for deaths. They are pleased only if there is death; but, the more death, the happier they are . . . . because it exposes vulnerability in their forces of their enemy. That is their delight. But, mark it down . . . . death most certainly accompanies any attack of spiritual terrorism. + Discouragement. If attacks are effective enough and frequent enough, it will have an affect on others, both participants and bystanders. Hopefully, these attacks will strengthen the resolve of the victims to resist and defeat the terrorists. However, it sometimes causes exactly what the terrorists want . . . . discouragement. This is certainly true in spiritual warfare. To be totally blunt about it, many believers cave in to the attacks of Satan and his forces simply because they do not believe he has been defeated, and they do not believe they can successfully stand up against him. Basically, they went AWOL the day they signed up. + Compromise. When one faces damage, potential death, and discouragement, his first temptation is to leave the field of battle and go home. If, however, his sense of duty and pride prohibit him from doing so, then he'll begin looking for a way to stay "in the fight" but in a way that reduces the danger without his losing face. This is called compromise. If you want to see what compromise does in spiritual warfare, read the books of Joshua and Judges, and then follow up with the books of the Kings and the Chronicles. These books are filled with the consequences of compromise. We see today in the Middle East the end result of compromises that were made three to four thousand years ago. But, tragically, compromise is still the frequent outcome of terrorist attacks. It will be interesting to see what happens in coming weeks and months in Fallujah because of compromise. We'll know soon enough if the compromise was good or bad. + Abandonment. The ultimate unacceptable but yet real end result of terrorism is abandonment. Entire islands in the Philippines and Indonesia have been abandoned to the terrorist control of radical Islamists. Christians by the thousands have been murdered there. Why? Because legitimate governments emotionally and logistically abandoned their people. One of the greatest heartbreaks of battling spiritual terrorism is when believers give up, quit, and abandon that which they've already secured. Frankly, this is one of the things constantly on my mind for this city as Jo Ann and I consider our future. It's one thing to be transferred . . . . it's another thing to abandon the post. DEALING WITH TERRORISM: This has become an undesirably long letter, but I must finish with some hopefully helpful recommendations: As we draw closer to the return of the Lord Jesus Christ, the contrasts in religions become more glaring, and the explanation of the conflict with Christianity becomes more clear. As I mentioned in my last letter, these religious differences are so intertwined with sequential historical events that it's hard to sometimes separate the two, . . . . the reason being that they both are deeply rooted in the very nature and soul of man. They are like two sides of the same coin; you cannot have one without the other. So, no matter where you and I live . . . . The United States, eastern Europe, the Middle East, Africa, or southeast Asia, we run into the same issue ---- terrorism . . . . both visible in the earthly world and invisible in the spiritual world. And what is happening in the earthly world is being spurred on by what is happening in the spiritual world. It, therefore, behooves us to recognize where the primary battle must be waged . . . . in the heavenlies. In doing so, we must remember that what happens in our battle with unseen terrorism in the heavenlies will have much to do with how things play out in the visible world for all to see. If we are not fighting terrorism in the heavenlies, we will lose all wars in the earthly world. So, maybe we should keep the following things in mind: + Remember the war is real, no matter the method. There's more to what's going on in the world than simply the clash of cultures and the differences of religion. It is more than the drive for territorial domination or economic supremacy. The war in the spiritual realm is very real . . . . more real than in any other realm. Your battles with the world, the flesh, and the devil and his minions is not just a figment of your imagination or an example of "that's just life". It's a very real war. + Remember the ultimate goal is the same ---- kill, steal, destroy. Satan has not modified his goal in any way. He still rebels against God will all his energy, and he still hates God's most prized creation with unrelenting evil passion. You and I are two specific targets the enemy has placed on his "most wanted" list . . . . not so much for who we are as for who we represent . . . . not so much for how dangerous we are as to how victorious our King already is. + Remember that our weapons remain essentially and effectively the same. Think about it, my friend! We have the armor representing the full nature and character of Christ, we have the Holy Spirit providing all the power we need, we have the Name of Jesus giving us all the authority we need, we have the voice of praise that declares total victory to the four corners of the earth, and we have the inerrant Word of God declaring truth and liberty to all who believe. These weapons never wear out or rust out; they never lose their effectiveness. The only thing that renders them useless is . . . . when they are not used. + Remember our objective never changes. No matter the distractions or temptations of diversion, we never flinch in the midst of the explosions, we never glance to the left or the right . . . or the rear . . . ., we never lose our focus. We remain "this one thing I do" people, and we press on behind the strong leadership of our commander and point man as He leads us from victory to victory. + Remember the final outcome has been assured. Regardless of what circumstances may show, and regardless of what unbelieving voices may confess, we must be reminded daily that the final chapter was written before the first . . . . and it declares in no uncertain terms that Jesus is the Victor . . . . the conquering King. And this is not a "come from behind knockout" as in a Rocky movie. He has led from the first bell, and will continue to do so. Pay no attention to what is going on in the stands or in the enemy's corner. + Remember that courageous, authoritative perseverance is absolutely essential. The only way you can be taken out in this battle is if you quit. If you are wounded, be healed. If you are intimidated, take courage. If you are knocked down, get up. If you are confused, trust your Captain. Just stay at it. Remember you don't have to give in, give out, or give up. You have an alternative . . . . dogged perseverance coming from a confident heart that tastes the spoils of victory. + Develop a pro-active rather than defensive stance. One of America's great football coaches said, "the best defense is a good offense", and that is clearly true. Rather than waiting for terrorism to come to you, go after the terrorists. This is one thing the world failed to do back in the late 1980's and early 1990's, and we are now paying the price for hesitation. A Christian should never under any circumstance put himself in a defensive mode . . . . it is inconsistent with and incompatible with the essence of the Great Commission. The "good news" was never a "come to us" message, but rather an "as you go" message. Such is also the case with the unseen terrorism of the spiritual realm. + Utilize preemptive tactics of offense rather than digging in for defense. Somehow we must get over the idea that following Christ can be done defensively. The defense comes from Christ Himself as our absolute source. He defends us; we do not defend either Him or ourselves. Because of that, we can and must take the initiative to engage in preemptive strikes. Have you considered what this word actually means . . . . preemptive? If I understand it correctly, it is rooted in the word "preeminence". That means, taking the first action from a position of preeminent superiority. That's exactly what we must do, because that's exactly who we are. So, make incursions into the land of spiritual warfare. Take time for reconnaissance. Gain understanding of the enemy, his logic, his resources, and his tactics. And then develop a strategy that instantaneously jerks the rug from under his feet and cuts off all resources at his disposal. + Be sure to spend sufficient time at hq with your commanding officer. He's the One who is your absolute inexhaustible source. He is both your commander and your supplier. He is your authority as well as your strength. If anything is more important than another, this may be the one thing that is virtually indispensable. If you want to know what your commanding officer thinks and knows, and if you want to learn from His years of wisdom and experience, then you have to take time talking to Him. Without Him you can do nothing. Don't go off with your weapon half cocked or your plan half baked. Be sure that, when you go out, you are fully aware, fully equipped, and fully intent on coming back in complete victory. FINALLY: It's important to acknowledge that spiritual terrorism is real, whether seen or unseen. Perhaps we need to be reminded that the invisible is more real than the visible, the unseen more real than the seen, and the spiritual far more real than the temporal. And, it's essential to recognize that the unseen may be more costly unless you are alert and adequately prepared. So, my friend, it's my hope that you see the parallel between what's going on in the visible world of nations and ideologies and what's going on in the unseen world of spiritual forces in heavenly places. And then, determine to do primary battle in the heavenlies. If you'll do that, then your work in the visible world will be unbelievably fruitful. In His Bond and For His Kingdom, Bob Tolliver -- Psalm 2:8 Copyright May, 2004 Life Unlimited Ministries lifeunlimited@... http://www.hope4kiev.org/team/members.asp?ID=10 (Personal ministry) www.hope4kiev.org (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.relc.com/kiev/index.htm www.travel.kyiv.org/map/e_kyiv.htm www.mindspring.com/~goliath74/kiev.html 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 -- To subscribe, send ANY message to: shoulders-subscribe@...> To unsubscribe, send ANY message to: shoulders-unsubscribe@...