Spiritual Warfare and the Deuteronomy Factor

Spiritual Warfare and the Deuteronomy Factor


The Three Principles of Spiritual Warfare are explained in Deuteronomy 2. To achieve victory, you and I must follow these same principles to the letter.
Following them ensures our victory while disregarding them can spell defeat for us as we go after fulfilling our need. These three principles are absolutely essential for us to follow.
• Whatever your need, these three principles must be understood.
• Then they must be employed by you and me to possess the solution to our need.
Your may need healing, help for a loved one or improvement in your finances. Whatever your need happens to be, adherence to these three principles will determine your level of victory or lack of it.
Now let us apply these Three Warfare Principles. Say you need healing.
1. You cannot peacefully coexist with the devil or his sickness. Moses tried this with King Sihon but King Sihon would have nothing of it. This resulted in a fight to the death.
You see, Moses tried to peacefully pass by Sihon on the way into the Promised Land. Sihon would not let him pass peacefully.
Deut 2:30
30 But Sihon king of Heshbon would not let us pass by him: (KJV)
Since Sihon would not let him pass peacefully, war to the finish had to be declared and won. Moses could not peacefully coexist with King Sihon.
2. When you rout the devil on one front, he will come at you from another. (They barely had King Sihon sprawled at their feet in total defeat when King Og came at them with a vengeance, Deuteronomy 3:1-7.)
Nevertheless, be not alarmed at this because we have the victory guaranteed to us in advance. The victory is guaranteed because the battle is the Lord’s.
Deut 3:21-22
21 And I commanded Joshua at that time, saying, Thine eyes have seen all that the LORD your God hath done unto these two kings: so shall the LORD do unto all the kingdoms whither thou passest.
22 Ye shall not fear them: for the LORD your God he shall fight for you. (KJV)
In other words, no matter how many kings come against you (they had to face seven kings here), the victory is guaranteed by God himself. He said he would do to the remaining five what He had already done to the first two.
3. We must be armed to the teeth at all times.
Deut 3:18
18 And I commanded you at that time, saying, The LORD your God hath given you this land to possess it: ye shall pass over armed before your brethren the children of Israel, all that are meet for the war. (KJV)
“Armed,” in this context, lasts until they have completed the taking of the land God promised them. They are to be armed to the teeth until they are at complete peace and rest in the land. See Deuteronomy 3:20.
You, too, must be armed to the teeth until you have complete victory and are in possession of your promised blessings.
These three principles must be utilized in our fight for the healing of our loved ones. Our objectives are different and our weapons are different.
We don’t use spears and battle axes in our spiritual warfare to take back our blessings of health, family well being and prosperity. Our weapons are different but the principles are the same. We still, however, employ the same three principles given above.
• We cannot coexist with what Satan has put on us.
• We are not discouraged when one victory is won and another battle starts.
• Our victory is guaranteed in advance.
• We must be armed to the teeth at all times.
• All this will last until we are in complete possession of our blessings and at complete peace and rest with them.
Go for it! Work the Three Principles. The victory is yours.

Life is a Dance (Channelled)

Life is a Dance (Channelled)

You are the dancer and the dance; you are a partner in the dance of life.
Roy, there are two ways to reach me. One is to talk to me. Another is to sense me.
The life that flows through your body is me. Your awareness of that is communing with me. When you feel the energy you are recognizing me. You acknowledge life and you acknowledge the essence of who you really are. As you become more aware of this life force you will become more aware of your body as the vehicle for the force that passes through you. You will begin to experience yourself as a three dimensional object… a dense bulk that is pulled down by gravity. You will also appreciate the value of the body in its ability to move through physicality, as that of a rider on the back of an elephant.
The physical body is apply suited for its environment. As an observer in control and in a lofty position of observation, the body seems slow and cumbersome, yet it is elegant in its movements and interaction with its surroundings.
From this position of watching the body work, it is easy to feel the separation; you are out of the box and in control but not quite with the program. You drive the elephant, but the elephant is in control of each foot step, you trust the independent system that through experience it knows where to step.
The body moves independent of you, but always you are the driver, you are in control. When you loose site of this, the body runs aimlessly without direction, it lives but has little purpose except to survive and it does that because it was set to autopilot, or survival mode. As your awareness of the life force within you body grows, a different communication develops; a co-operation that manifests itself physically in mutual satisfaction. When you communicate well with the elephant and show love and caring for it, it will respond in kind. It will respond more easily to your commands. Talk to your body and it will feel the vibration of its own voice and know it is alive and has purpose, it will work for you.
Your body knows about physical things, that is why you are in relationship to it. Your spirit knows about the life process and your body reacts to it. When you work in harmony with your body, things move easily. You will experience physical awareness as pleasant and satisfying.
When the body and the life force dance together, what they create is beauty. Without co-operation the body may stumble and fall, or feet may be stepped on. The chorography is the pattern and rhythm of life, working in harmony. That is how it was meant to be.
Communication with the three aspects of who you really are brings forth such beauty and it is a wonder to behold. Truly little can be more pleasurable or touching as two dancers moving together in harmony and co-operation. That is how your life was meant to be, that is how it was all set-up.
You were given independence, but always you were to work together with your parts. You may have forgotten how to talk to each other. That is the great secret. You must begin to talk, to work together, and to begin to work as one, by being able to know your uniqueness and relationship to each other. Sometimes you lead, sometimes you follow. But always you come together, in co-operation and splendour. And always you stand back and watch yourself from the edge of the dance floor.
You are the observer and the dancer, you must see the magnificence of you dance, you are dancing for you life, you are the centre of attention. The circumstances of you life are the props you have created, to reflect the independent moves and choices in your routine. Without these symbols, the dance would just be a dance carried out in space with no reference or relationship.
Your dance reflects the relationship you have with your physical world. The purpose of a dancer is to dance, find out what your purpose is and move with it and it will become a thing of beauty, it will flow easily.

A Daily Refreshment

A Daily Refreshment


Half an hour's meditation is essential except when you are very busy. Then, a full hour is needed. --Francis de Sales
Meditation is one of those things in life that benefits you the most when you want to do it the least. It is a practice that helps to calm a racing mind, while it refreshes and refuels your passion and joy. It opens you up to a more conscious awareness of your spirituality. Sometimes, it presents answers to problems you thought were unsolvable. It's free, and the more you do it, the more time you seem to have.
So why doesn't everybody meditate?
One reason is that there is some confusion about what meditation is, and many people don't realize there are a number of meditation techniques. There is a stereotype of meditation that involves people in robes sitting for long painful hours on their knees, but that is just one of many meditation techniques.
A basic understanding of meditation says that, if prayer is talking to God, then meditation is listening. Here are just some of the simple yet profound ways that people meditate:
-Sit in a quiet place, close your eyes, and say a familiar prayer slowly, as you focus on the meaning of each line.
-Take a break from your thoughts by counting your breaths, counting one through ten again and again.
-Listen to a meditation tape or CD.
-Sit still and watch your thoughts. Practice doing this without becoming attached to any one thought. Just watch them come and go.
-Walk outdoors slowly, noting as many details of your surroundings as you can.
-Sit with a leaf, a flower, or any small object, and study its features.
-Write without stopping for a pre-determined amount of time or pages, as if you're "taking dictation" from God or the Universe.
In all of these meditation techniques, when you notice your thoughts running away with you, gently bring your focus back to your practice. If you want to delve more into a specific meditation practice, there are numerous books, retreats, and teachers to help you.
Whichever form your meditation takes, the one thing you'll always hear from practitioners is that consistency is the key. If you can only focus for five minutes at a time, start with that, but do it every day. As you become more at home in your practice, you'll find it easier to devote more time to it. You'll know your meditation technique is working when it results in greater peace, wisdom, and compassion. Not a bad return on five minutes a day!
Just as you re-focus your thoughts gently during meditation, you can be gentle with yourself if you miss a day. Just return to your practice again and again. It won’t always feel like you're forcing yourself to do it. Frances de Sales, quoted above, also wrote, "Choose the life that is the most useful, and habit will make it the most agreeable." Whichever one of these meditation techniques you find the most useful, you can be assured you'll soon view it as one of your favorite parts of the day.

Reflections on 1 Peter 5

Reflections on 1 Peter 5


Peter draws his first letter to a close with specific instructions directed firstly to the elders, then to the young men and finally to all Christian believers.
To the elders he encourages them to serve as overseers of the people. This should not be done as a sense of duty, but because they are willing, which is what God wants. As is so often the case in Scripture, God sees the heart and it is important that we have the right Godly attitude motivating us.
Peter exalts them not to do this for money but because they are eager to serve. How different this approach and attitude is to what we encounter in the world. It is the same attitude that Jesus adopted, one who came to serve and not to be served.
The next group that Peter addresses are the young men. He instructs the young men to be submissive to those who are older than them. Sometimes young men think that they know everything and do not need to listen to advice. But again, as with the elders, Peter gives them instructions which are different to the way the world operates.
Closely linked with being submissive is humility which Peter moves onto next. The apostle says they should clothe themselves with humility.In fact this should be an attitude that all the believers should have for one another. And the reason he gives for this is taken from Proverbs 11 v 31:
"God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble."
All of us need God's grace in our life and therefore humility should be an attitude we desire for ourselves. I wonder how many church splits could have been avoided if we had more of this quality in our churches?
Peter reminds his readers that if they are prepared to humble themselves, then in God's timing they will experience the blessing of being lifted up. If we sow humility we will reap the benefits.
One of the benefits is that we can cast all our anxieties, worries and cares on God because we can be assured that he loves us. And once we have done that the weight of them shifts from us to God. What a tremendous promise! Sadly it is so easy to give them over to God and take them all back the next day! I expect that we have all done this on many occasions. We need to learn the liberating joy of leaving them with God once and for all, and then moving on.
As Peter closes this letter he reminds his readers of the spiritual attack that they can expect to receive from the devil. They are encouraged to be ready and alert and to also be self controlled. Although we cannot avoid the risk of attack from the devil, Peter encourages us to resist him and to stand firm in our faith. He reminds the readers that throughout the world all their fellow brothers and sisters are undergoing this battle. For many of them this would have meant imprisonment and death. Most of us will probably not have to face this, but many of the early church did. In fact in some countries today believers are going through this and we need and should support them in prayer.
Peter then reminds his readers that God will give them the grace to be strong. We may stumble, slip or fall over but God's grace will see us through to the end.

Jesus: King of Kings

Jesus: King of Kings


With Christmas just around the corner our thoughts turn naturally to the birth of Jesus. Most people think of Jesus as a teacher and a healer, and of course they would be right. The Bible also tells us that God promised King David a son who would reign over Israel for ever. That son was Jesus Christ.
We often forget that Jesus can claim the title "King of the Jews". When Jesus was born, the wise men asked Herod "Where is he that is born King of the Jews?" Nobody laughed, for the Jewish priests knew from scriptures that one day a special king would be born in Bethlehem. (Micah 5:2,4)
We know in hindsight that the last time Jesus was on earth it was not God's will for Jesus to become King of Israel at that time. The gospel had to be preached to the whole earth first, as it now has been. That does not mean Jesus will not be king over Israel though.
The Bible tells us that when Jesus returns, his claim to the throne of David will not be like the kings we see in our world today - Jesus will have the authority and power to lay claim to the throne.
The Bible gives us a wonderful hope for our world. It will not always be in the sad state - the violence, the corruption and the evil ways of men - that we see today.
The Bible teaches us that we can have that wonderful hope ourselves and that we will have the opportunity to help Christ when he returns, but we need to do something about it now. We need to understand, to believe and be baptised into the saving name of Christ, if we are to live forever with Jesus in the world to come.
This is what the apostle Paul said when he explained what he was looking forward to:
"Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only, but also to all those who have loved his appearing." (2 Timothy 4:8)
So, think about the birth of Jesus this Christmas, but also consider the reasons why he was born and the joy that the coming King will bring!

Golf Swing Improvement Secrets To Stop The Insanity

Golf swing improvement can be elusive for most golfers. I have read many articles and studies on the huge number of golfers quitting the game every year. They are tired of putting in the time, buying equipment, taking lessons, and purchasing every golf training aid on the market only to see no golf swing improvement.
You can’t fault a frustrated golfer who experiences the above and quits. Life is too short to spend 5 hours on a golf course and not enjoy it.
Let’s discuss why this happens!
First off, golf swing improvement should be approached from the inside-out. That means starting with your body. If your body has physical restrictions, you won’t ever be able to make a repeatable golf swing with any power or accuracy. It’s a physical impossibility.
You can try-and-try, but it won’t happen!
You body dictates your golfing ability. Like in any sport, raw talent is hard to come by and is only for a small percent of the athletic community.
Do you feel like you should be a better golfer? How many times have you walked off the course in disgust…knowing you should have played much better? This is a common occurrence and one that can be fixed quickly.
The right approach to golf swing improvement is one that looks at your current golf swing faults and the ‘physical’ reason behind it. I see this all the time. A golfer takes a lesson; the instructor tells the golfer what he needs to do; and the golfer can’t do it!
What a frustrating situation!
For every swing fault, there is an underlying ‘physical’ reason why it keeps happening.
Let me give you one of many examples to substantiate the above statement.
You are a slicer. That means you come “over-the-top” with your upper body. Do you want to know one of the many reasons why this happens?
Here goes!
You have poor core strength and flexibility.
If your body cannot initiate the downswing with the lower body, especially the hips rotating; it is because your core muscles are sending a message to your brain saying, “we can’t do this, so figure out another way (compensation) to get me back to the ball.”
Now the upside to this scenario.
You work on your core rotational strength and flexibility. You don’t hit more balls. You don’t add more swing thoughts to your swing. You don’t do drills at the range til your hands are bleeding. You just improve your core. That’s it!
The result?
You are able to initiate the downswing with your lower body, create and retain stored energy in your core area, and you not only stop your slice, but you add 30 yards to your drives!
That’s golf swing improvement the right way!
Again, this is just one example of a golf swing fault; and the cause and solution to eliminating it forever.
Now golf is fun again!
So when you think of playing better golf; take a new approach to your golf swing improvement.

Golf Swing Problem And How To Fix It

Golf Swing Problem And How To Fix It

Golf strength exercises are a must for any golfer wanting to improve power output; decrease injury; improve accuracy and consistency, and slow the effects of the aging process for senior golfers.
There is more and more information coming out about golf strength exercises, but some of it is a bit misleading. What constitutes golf strength exercises? And what are the benefits of doing them once you recognize the difference between golf strength exercises and ‘general’ fitness exercises?
First off…a sport specific approach is needed. In analyzing the physical requirements of the golf swing, we know several things right up front.
It takes place on your feet. You are in a very dynamic and athletic body position (golf posture). You maintain this position while you swing a 3 foot long lever at up to 100 mph. There is a definite sequence of motion required. Maintaining balance, stability and coordination are a must.
Okay…now that we’ve ‘briefly’ recognized just some of the physical requirements for an optimal golf swing, what would be the approach to your golf improvement program?
Since the golf swing takes place on your feet, you would definitely want to do many of your exercises on your feet. Doesn’t that make sense? Since you are in a dynamic (golf posture) position, you would want to strengthen the muscles that help maintain this position.
Because golf is a turn back (rotation) and a turn through (rotation), you must focus on both core strength and flexibility from a rotational standpoint. Not doing so, will slow your golf improvement and not give you the results you were hoping for.
Balance is critical to maintain a consistent swing with optimal mechanics, therefore you would want to challenge and improve your body awareness. This entails doing exercises on unstable surfaces; isolating just one side of the body, then the other to balance it out; and using many different modes of resistance (for example bands, handweights, stability balls, medicine balls, and even body weight).
Along with balance is stability. They go hand-in-hand, and in order to improve stability, you need to work on strengthening your lower body, specific to the dynamic movement of the golf swing. This would be from a lateral (side-to-side) motion, to a definite rotational (turning) motion. Training your lower body to improve stability is a must to produce repeatable shots.
We cannot ignore golf-specific flexibility in regards to utilizing golf strength exercises. But the type of flexibility needed is once again, dynamic. I hate to keep using that word, but the golf swing, is not like other athletic movements. Being in golf posture and moving that club at up to 100 mph takes a tremendous amount of flexibility in the major joints of the body.
Stretches that are most effective are movement oriented stretches, not static (holding) stretches. Improving your range of motion, with motion stretches is the only way to go. Taking a look at body positions throughout the swing will give you a better idea of the types of movement stretches you need to do to maximize your body’s ability to produce consistent power.
None of the above can be attained sitting in a stationary machine in a gym. I hate to burst your bubble. Don’t get me wrong. Any exercise is better than no exercise; but if you want to make better use of your time, you’ve got to participate in more golf strength exercises, than machine (general) exercise.

A Golf Driver Tip To Remember

A Golf Driver Tip To Remember

Every golfer wants to know the best golf driver tip. I hate to disappoint you but there are many great golf driver tips that could be the key to unlocking monster drives for you. Every month the golf magazines have dozens of tips in them, but none of them get to the root of the problem.
If I were to get the opportunity to write a golf driver tip for a magazine, I’d say something against the norm. Something teaching instructors wouldn’t want to hear. Do you want to know what it is? It’s not some quick fix, because they never work long-term. The “only” thing that works long-term is working on you.
Your body has a current level of physical ability. I don’t care how many balls you hit at the range; how many lessons you take; and what driver you’re swinging. Hitting the ball further takes an increase in clubhead speed. Period. So hitting more balls or taking more lessons won’t improve this.
The only thing that can improve clubhead speed is strengthening your core rotational strength and flexibility. Your core is the engine to your swing. A weak or inflexible core will not give you the results you are looking for.
The golf swing a turn back and a turn through. Isn’t that about as simple as you can make it? If that’s true, why wouldn’t you improve your body’s ability to rotate quicker and more powerfully? This is the ticket to longer drives!
There are many simple, yet effective core rotational exercises you can do in your home, or even office to greatly improve your clubhead speed and driving distance.
Do you want an easy one you can do right in your chair?
Cross your arms in front of your chest. Sit up tall and erect. With a fixed head position, rotate to the right and left slowly. See how far you can go. Do this without stopping. As you feel a loosening of the core, start to rotate faster and faster. Do this 20 or 30 times when you think about it and I guarantee you’ll feel it.
Since time is such a valuable commodity, you’ve got to get creative. I’ve put together a complete section of my manual that covers simples stretches and exercises you can do right in your chair in your office. You can’t get more convenient than that.