8 Signs You Are Under Spiritual Attack

                           

There was a time when someone suffering from a heart attack had little chance of survival because he or she didn't know what was happening and ignored the symptoms until it was too late.

Medical advancements began identifying common warning signs such as discomfort and pressure in the center of the chest, pain on one or both arms, and shortness of breath. Spreading awareness of the warning signs has greatly increased the survival rate for heart attack victims.

In a similar manner, many Christians seem to be blindsided by spiritual attacks. When it comes to a spiritual attack, it is crucial to recognize the warning signs for survival:

1. Loss of spiritual desire. The goal of any spiritual attack is to turn you away from what God wants to do in your life. That is why the first warning sign of attack is a loss of spiritual desire. We don't live by feelings alone, but there is a difference between doing something merely out of obligation and doing something because you delight in it. When you delight in the Lord, nothing else compares. Someone passionate for God finds pleasure in the things of God.

2. Physical fatigue. The second warning sign is physical fatigue. I know that doesn't sound very spiritual, but keep in mind that we are created beings—spirit, soul, and body. If my body is weak, it allows things to get into my mind (soul), and that allows things to negatively affect my spirit. Many times we face our greatest attacks just before a great promotion or just after a great victory. Keep in mind when you're going through it—an attack could very well be an indication that you are about to be promoted or just had a great victory.

3. "Lack attack." The third sign that you are under attack is a "lack attack." There are times when it seems that all of your resources dry up at the same time. The enemy attacks in this to get you to take your eyes off of God and put your eyes on money. If he can get you worrying rather than worshipping, you will start making decisions based on opportunity rather than anointing. Always remember there are two times in your life when you are especially vulnerable to temptation: when you have nothing and when you have everything. Stay close to God in both the good times and the bad times.

4. Weak prayer life. The fourth sign that you are under spiritual attack is a weakening prayer life. "Could you not watch with Me one hour?" Jesus asked His disciples. Then He told them, "Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak" (Matt. 26:40-41).

5. Feeling overwhelmed and helpless. Are you feeling overwhelmed by circumstances? That could be a sign that you are under attack. The word circumstance comes from two words: circum (encircle) and stance (stand). In other words, you are standing encircled by what's going on. It doesn't take long for feelings of being overwhelmed to lead to hopelessness. The Bible says, "Hope deferred makes the heart sick" (Prov. 13:12). It also tells us, "Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen" (Heb. 11:1). If the enemy can get you to lose hope, he can get you to stop living by faith.

6. Old habits and lifestyles resurface. The sixth sign that you are under spiritual attack is that old iniquities begin to resurface in your life. What is an iniquity? Some consider iniquities to be those old habits that your soul wants to fall back on when things aren't going your way—things that indulge the flesh. If this begins to happen, do not ignore the warning conviction of the Holy Spirit.

7. Pulling away from Godly relationships. When old iniquities start tempting you, the next sign of spiritual attack is sure to follow: pulling away from godly relationships. Look around. Have you pulled out of relationships with people at church or with people in your small group? Are more and more of your friends carnally minded rather than spiritually minded? If so, you are stumbling around the battleground and the enemy has a target on your head.

8. Five "Do Nots" to Break the Enemy's Attack. Once you've taken a stand against the enemy's attack, here are five "do nots" you must remember.

Do not forget who made you. God created you with storms in mind. He has equipped you and you are going to make it through in Him.

Do not forsake the time and place of prayer. Two things that are vital to a successful prayer life: a time of prayer and a place of prayer.

Do not forsake the place of power. Your church is a place of power.

Do not forsake the power of partnership. It is good to be around people who have lived longer, done more than you have and can give wise counsel.

Do not disconnect from pastoral protection. I have often seen people under attack whom I wanted to pull close and help, but they refused. Don't wait until the enemy is tearing you to pieces to seek the aid of those in a pastoral role in your life.

If you are under attack, you can arm yourself against the enemy's schemes, equip yourself to fight and win!

Written by Jentezen Franklin

Israel threatens to destroy Syrian air defenses

                           

Israeli Defense Minister Avigdor Liberman has warned Syria that Israel will destroy its air defense system if Syria fires an anti-aircraft missile at Israeli aircraft again.

Speaking on Israel public radio Sunday morning, Liberman said, "The next time the Syrians use their air defense systems against our airplanes, we will destroy all of them without thinking twice."

His threat comes after Syria fired anti-aircraft missiles at Israeli military jets overnight Thursday into Friday.

The Syrian military said the jets struck a military site near Palmyra, while Israel says they targeted a weapons shipment to Iran-backed Hezbollah. Syria claims their missiles downed one Israeli jet and hit another, which Israel rejected as "absolutely untrue."

"Our central problem, and this above and beyond all of the other issues, is the transfer of advanced weapons from Syria to Lebanon," Liberman said.

"Every time we identify a transfer like this, we will work to prevent the transfer of game-changing weapons. On this issue there will not be any compromise," the outspoken Defense Minister added.

Source:CNN

How To Combat Spiritual Attacks

                                         

I’ve spent a lifetime fending off spiritual attacks from family, friends and people I don’t even know. Thank God I’m still alive till this day to tell the tale; many not so fortunate have gone to meet their Maker before their time.

We live in precarious times where people use the Power of Darkness to harm their fellow human beings through spells, incantations – even bad thoughts. People are being killed in their sleep, through kidney failure, strokes, road accidents and through other mysterious circumstances.

People go to witchdoctors to procure amulets, talismans and incantations to protect them from evil and people who wish them ill.

They won’t work.

The main reason these things don’t work is because they are created by Man who consults the lesser spirits (aka demons). The juju you do to protect yourself can be understood by another witchdoctor who knows how to unravel it. For instance an armed robber who does juju so he’s impervious to bullets can be killed by having his head chopped off or set on fire. Remember the Man who made the pencil also made the eraser. There will always be a way to get around what any witchdoctor may have done.

So how do you protect yourself from spiritual attacks?

The first and foremost thing is to believe that there is no power that supersedes that of God. Be you a Christian, Hindu or Muslim you have to believe that all power comes from God. Everything else is superficial and false.

In believing you can’t allow your faith to waiver! If you have faith as small as a mustard seed you can move mountains!

Once you have an unwavering belief in God no harm will come your way. In addition to spiritual attacks I’ve been poisoned several times, battled cancer and kidney failure and I’m still alive! All witches, witchdoctors and evil doers are subject to the will of God! Believe in him ( - not blind faith!) and you will be saved.

You cannot for a second doubt the power of the living God. Not for a second. If you do you will perish. The Lord God hates that Evil be wrought in the world.

With your faith intact it’s time to proceed to the next level.

Pray! You don’t need a pastor or prophet to pray for you: you can do it yourself (- unless of course you doubt yourself!). Pray honestly to God and you will hear his voice! It doesn’t matter whether you are a Muslim or a Christian. If you pray correctly you will hear God’s voice. To hear his voice you need to be free of all prejudice, selfishness, malice and have a clear conscience. For Christians who don’t know how to pray there is the Lord’s Prayer, Psalm 23 and 91 – or you can come up with your very own personalised prayer. God doesn’t need your money, tithes, your offerings – or anything! All he requires of you is to follow his way ( i.e - The Ten Commandments). All he needs you to do is talk to him, honestly.

Carry a symbol of your religion: most Christian will make the sign of the cross when confronted with evil or wear a crucifix; Muslims can carry their prayer beads, the Misbaha or Tesbih and Jews the Star of David. These things work a lot better than talismans or amulets from your Babalawo or witchdoctor! Word of advice here – some people carry crucifixes and tesbihs along with what they get from their witchdoctors in the hope it will give them all round protection. It won’t! The minute you start mixing something else with your religion you lose the protection of God. And the reason is very simple, because you doubt him by putting your faith in other things he will withdraw his support for you! (Remember ‘..you shall have no other god before me..’)

Scientists have agreed that the most powerful form of energy in the universe is white light. Our Lord Jesus said that ‘…I am the Light of the World…’. Surround yourself with white light (- and not darkness!). To put it in a simple way that anybody can understand and follow: when you are praying imagine a spotlight of white of coming down from heaven, covering and transfiguring you. No evil can come near anyone who is in the Light! Do this each time you pray or if you feel you’re in danger.

Another thing to do is ask the angels for help. There is a lot of controversy surrounding the consultation of angels and let me see if I can clear it up. An archangel or angel does not replace the role of God the Father, God the Holy Spirit or God the Son (Jesus Christ) in our lives: they complement. There are also those who would like to deceive you that you can control angels. You can’t! Angels are messengers from God! They will always do Gods will – not yours! Everyone has a guardian angel who watches over them. They are in your life to help and protect you at their discretion. They will help you and look after you as long as you are doing Gods will. They will not protect you if you’re bad, evil, selfish or don’t follow the will of God.

Most important thing of all – Heaven helps those who help themselves. Don’t go where you shouldn’t go, don’t do things you shouldn’t do. Be vigilant at all times and don’t put the Lord God to the test. If you’re thrown into the lion’s den you will be saved but if you walk in willingly you’re on your own!

So you don’t need a pastor, prophet or witchdoctor (- who are only interested in your money!) to keep you safe from the forces of Evil. You can do it yourself.

Believe. Pray. Surround yourself with the Light of God and ask for continuing protection from your guardian angels.

I am living proof that it works.

Written By Tony Ogunlowo

Follow me on Twitter : @Archangel641 or visit http://www.archangel641.blogspot.co.uk

How God Uses Fasting to Draw Us to Him

                                     

I remember the first time I fasted. My church youth group was raising funds to take part in the 30-Hour Famine to help hungry children. I was 13 and had rarely (if ever) missed a meal in my life, so I was rather fearful, scared that the long hours would drag on endlessly.

But as with most spiritual disciplines, that fast taught me something about God and about myself. Some friends and I were engaged in a Bible study during the fast and we were studying Acts 13 when the Apostle Paul and Barnabas were sent out on one of their missionary journeys.

“While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, ‘Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.’ So after they had fasted and prayed, they placed their hands on them and sent them off” (Acts 13:2-3).

The leader then asked, “What do you think the purpose of fasting was for these disciples of Jesus?”

It was then that I realized something: fasting prepares us for hardship.

It is more of a gift than a lack of something, because, through denying ourselves a basic need, we are inclining our hearts to seek God and to recognize the need that we have had for Him all along, but which we so easily drown out through the busyness of life and taking for granted access to food and other necessities.

Fasting is an ancient spiritual discipline, as seen in the passage in Acts. In an article for Relevant Magazine titled “Does Fasting Even Matter Anymore?” author Levi Carter also gives the biblical examples of Moses and Jesus himself.

“Jesus and Moses began their earthly ministries by spending 40 days alone in the wilderness with God,” writes Carter.

Fasting can seem like a lost practice today--perhaps something not relevant to our Christian faith in the modern world, but as long as we are tempted to fill our lives with other things that tend to crowd Christ out, there will be a need for such spiritual disciplines as fasting.

Fasting is perhaps particularly relevant at this time of the year when we are in the season of Lent--a time that begins with Ash Wednesday, a reminder of our mortality and our need for the Savior, whose death and Resurrection we celebrate at Easter.

During these 40 days of Lent, many people give something up: sweets, social media, caffeine, or food. What we are saying through fasting from these things is that we know only Jesus is enough for our cravings--for food, for friendship, for fulfillment.

Carter provides two particular purposes of fasting.

First, fasting is for returning--returning to the initial joy and dependence we had when we first knew Christ.

“When I think back to my early days with Christ, I think of the raw and honest prayers I prayed. I think of how I dug deep into the Scripture, not to pass some religious test, but because I desperately needed the sort of truth that could set me free. I can’t escape the feeling that the wilderness of first love was his favorite season with me, nor can I escape my own ache to return,” writes Carter.

Secondly, fasting is for pruning. God desires to make us holy so that we may walk in relationship with Him.

“Jesus taught that it was the pure in heart who would see him. God is making me holy, not just for a purpose, but for proximity. God doesn’t hate sin because he’s vindictive, God hates sin because it’s the only thing that stands in the way of him and his kids,” says Carter.

“When we take away a basic need like food, a union with Christ is forged,” he continues “We are saying, I need You more than my most basic human needs. This posture of humility creates a lean in our hearts. Where we no longer lean into our own understanding or ingenuity to produce, but rather lean unto His heart.”

During this season of Lent, of wilderness, of fasting and prayer, may the Lord be preparing you to be ready for the miracle of Easter.

Written by Veronica Neffinger

Malaysian Pastor Kidnapped after Helping Muslims

                                   

March 19 marked one month since the disappearance of Malaysian Pastor Raymond Koh, whom family and friends believe was kidnapped because of his interaction with Muslim Malays.

Police have arrested a suspect in the kidnapping but have not released any information about Koh’s possible whereabouts.

On Sunday, March 5, hundreds of Christians around Malaysia held candlelight vigils in solidarity with Koh’s family. Holding candles and signs reading, “Where is Pastor Raymond?” and, “Let Raymond go,” the people prayed for the pastor’s safe return.

“We pray for his safe and quick release,” said his wife, Susannah Lieu Sow Yoke, as she broke into tears. “At this time we look to God and [hope that] he’ll be safe and we’ll meet him again.”

The morning of Feb. 13, while Koh was on his way to a friend’s house in Petaling Jaya near Kuala Lumpur, three black SUVs surrounded his car and forced it to stop. Nearby closed circuit TV cameras captured video of masked men getting out of their cars and walking toward Koh. A struggle appeared to take place in Koh’s car before all of the vehicles left the area. The whole event took less than a minute, and Koh has not been seen since.

The family offered a $22,500 reward for information on the pastor’s whereabouts, but so far none has surfaced.

The news shocked Malaysians, with the Malaysian Consultative Council of Buddhists, Christians, Hindus, Sikhs, and Taoists releasing a public statement that read, “News of [Koh’s] abduction have fanned fears across all religious divides in Malaysian society, as it is unprecedented for a man of faith to be abducted in this way in our peaceful, multicultural country.”

Koh, 62, led an Evangelical Free Church of America (EFCA) congregation in Malaysia for 20 years before starting the ministry Harapan Komuniti in 2004. The group helps single mothers, drug addicts, and people suffering from HIV/AIDS. It also holds an after-school program and English tutoring for students. Harapan Komuniti doesn’t discriminate against whom it helps, and many of the recipients of its aid are Muslim Malays.

In 2011, the Selangor Islamic Religious Department (Jais) raided a thanksgiving and fundraising dinner hosted by Harapan Komuniti at a Methodist church. The religious police were concerned Koh was trying to proselytize 12 Muslim Malays who had attended the dinner, but they ended up dropping the case for lack of evidence.

A friend of Koh, (who wished to be anonymous for security reasons) said that after the 2011 raid, many Muslim Malays were angry with him. They sent a bullet to his home and stopped by his house to ask him to leave the country. They passed around his photo, calling on Muslims to kill him. In an interview with Malaysian newspaper The Star, Koh’s son Jonathan said that since 2011 “we have been evading them. We have been moving around. We also received a lot of death threats on the internet. We have people following us.”

Police are investigating a link between the kidnapping and the threats against Koh. The arrest in the case reportedly followed a ransom demand.

Islam is the official religion in Malaysia, and Muslims are governed under state-administered Sharia law.

Compiled by Angela Lu

Your Mindset and Thoughts Will Impact How This Week Goes

                                     

 Mondays give us an opportunity to start another calendar week on the right foot. You’ve probably heard the saying, “I got out of the wrong side of the bed,” when things don’t go well for a person on a given day.  Well, today each of us has a chance to frame the kind of day, even week, that we are going to have.  And, this occurs mostly in our minds.

“Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.” Romans 12:2

The degree to which we are able to make changes in our life will be determined by the attitudes that we have.  In the above scripture, Paul is telling us that if we change how we look at things in our mind and if we change our thought patterns, then we can change our lives. Not only change our lives – we can transform our lives.

Today, I encourage you to be intentional about choosing the mindset that you have throughout the day. Make a choice deep in your will that you are going to monitor your thought patterns throughout this week. What kind of thoughts are best? In his letter to the Colossians, Paul instructs us as to what our minds should be focused on.  We’re to set our minds on things above, not on earthly things. (Colossians 3:2) When we focus our thoughts on God’s truth found in the Bible we are much better off than when we set our minds on our life’s challenges and the things of this world.

So, before the day goes any further, check your overall mindset and thinking. Say a short prayer asking God to help keep your mind on his truths and things that are pure and loving and kind. ( Philippians 4:8) Make a commitment to monitor your thinking patterns for the entire week.  See if this makes a difference in how your week goes.

An Idea: Write yourself a reminder on a 3×5 card or small piece of paper and put it in a visible place – “Monitor my thought pattern.”

Have a great week… not just for yourself, but for the glory of God. Remember, when your light is shining brightly, it’s a reflection of Christ in you that others are seeing, and this brings glory to our Heavenly Father.

WRITTEN BY DALE FLETCHER.

The Secret of Financial Prosperity

                                  

The Bible says, "Give, and it will be given to you" (Luke 6:38). If you give good service, you will get back good service. If you give an honest, intelligent day's work, you should receive a promotion and better pay. If you give kindness and mercy to people, you will get kindness and mercy back.

If you give to God, He gives back thirty, sixty, and one hundredfold (see Matthew 13:23). Regarding tithes, He said in the Old Testament, "Prove Me now in this" and see "if I will not open for you the windows of heaven and pour out for you such blessing that there will not be room enough to receive it" (Malachi 3:10). So, we are looking at a measure of prosperity that exceeds what we could imagine! God is saying, "If you want My blessing, give to My work and to other people." If you want to succeed as a worker, a businessman, or in any field, give generously of yourself, your time, and your energy. If you are generous, openhanded, and openhearted, you will get back more. That is the law of reciprocity.

The law of use, coupled with reciprocity, makes an unbeatable combination. Whatever talent God has entrusted to you, use with all your might. To illustrate, some years ago I talked one Sunday night to a volunteer receptionist who was completely upset. She was partially disabled, but under revised guidelines she no longer qualified to receive welfare assistance. Her world had collapsed around her. I knew that despite her physical disability, she was uniquely gifted in making exquisite Christmas ornaments with religious scenes. I challenged her to use her talents. In fact, I offered modest financial backing to get her started in her own business. The backing was never called for, because her creations were an instant success. Not only did her new income considerably exceed her previous welfare payment, she was able to employ four people to assist her.

Perhaps you have a small amount of money. Why not use it to MAKE MORE MONEY? If you can begin an investment program where you can set aside $100 or $200, and then $400, pretty soon, you will have $800. After a while, the money will begin to work for you. The law of use and the law of compounding interest will begin to build up an enormous amount of money. If a person could simply double $100 every year for twenty years, it would become $50 million!

As you give, God will begin to pour His blessing upon you. As you use your talents, under His direction, and allow your resources time to grow, His blessing will multiply beyond anything you can now imagine.

Can God change your life?

God has made it possible for you to know Him and experience an amazing change in your own life. Discover how you can find peace with God.

Written by Pat Robertson

"Pat" Robertson has achieved national and international recognition as a religious broadcaster, philanthropist, educator, religious leader, businessman, and author. He is the founder and chairman of The Christian Broadcasting Network (CBN) Inc., and founder of International Family Entertainment Inc.,Regent University, Operation Blessing International Relief and Development Corporation, American Center for Law and Justice, The Flying Hospital, Inc. and several other organizations and broadcast entities.