FREE BOOKS OF THE MONTH: Battlefield of the Mind by Joyce Meyer

Why is the mind important? Because one small detail in the Greatest Commandment is often neglected. In Matthew 22:37, Jesus said, "You shall love the Lord your God will all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind." Love God not only with your heart and soul but with your mind too – "all your mind." With all your mind includes the right brain and the left brain.

There are many important verses on the Christian Mind, but one particular verse that holds dear to me is from Proverbs 23:7, "For as he thinks in his heart, so [is] he." Here you can see the crucial link between the mind and the heart. Your heart can influence your mind, but the other way round is also true: your mind can influence your heart. Since only God can change our hearts (see Ezekiel 36:26-27; John 15:5), the best way for us to change our lives is to change our own minds. How? By God's grace and human's will. God is in the process of "renewing [our] mind" (Romans 12:2) – that's grace because only God can make it happen. But the Scripture also instructs us to "set your mind to be right-minded" or "to think soberly" (Romans 12:3) – that's done by our will. Although the context of Romans 12:2-3 is on living sacrifice and humility, it can be applied to our lives too. If you're struggling with wrong, unholy, negative thinking, it's important for you to come to grips with the fact that your life won't change until your thinking does. And this is not beyond your will to change it. God gives us grace, are you willing to believe and apply it?

The Bible presents a lot of detailed instruction on what kinds of things we should think about. For example, in Philippians 4:8, Paul wrote: "Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy – meditate on these things" or "…think on these things." Think about things that build you up, not tear you down. One of the best way for us to think God-ward thinking is to meditate on the Word of God. The more time we spend thinking about the Word, the more power and ability we will have to walk in it. The more we read and listen to the Word, the more revelation we will receive to understand it. "In the flesh," explain Joyce Meyer, "we are lazy and want to receive from God without any effort on our own part, but that's not the way it works. You will only get out of the Word what you are willing to put into it." She continues, "I encourage you to make a decision to meditate on God's Word every day because every moment you spend absorbing it, the more virtue and knowledge you will receive from God."

Two important books that I would like to recommend for young people on the topic of the mind: #1 As a Man Thinketh by James Allan; and #2 Battlefield of the Mind by Joyce Meyer [read my review on The Battlefield of the Mind: Devotional. Click on the title]. For me, these are basic, essential books. In Battlefield of the Mind (cool book title, right?), Joyce shows how we can deal with negative things such as worry, doubt, confusion, depression, anger and feelings of condemnation by changing our minds. She shares her own trials, tragedies, and victories from marriage, family, and ministry that led her to wondrous, life-transforming truth – and reveals her thoughts and feelings every step of the way. Her stories filled with God-exaltation and Word-based instructions make this book authentic and in my opinion – one of her all-time best books. Don't let critics and Bible-Sherlock-Holmes stop you from reading books by Joyce Meyer, especially this one (Well, if you read Joyce's books more than the Bible itself, then you're making her idol. That's idolatrous). Like many preachers and authors, we all have our disagreements on some points.

I admire Joyce's boldness, faith, perseverance, courage, thick-skin, and truth-telling. With all the negative critics, accusations, false-findings and labeling on the internet and YouTube about her, she keeps her faith in Christ and continues to preach God's Word – even more, and better! Thus, Battlefield of the Mind is not just a collection of words and advice, but it's her own testimonies and how she fought the battle of the mind with "the sword of the Spirit" (Ephesians 6:17). Christ and His Word is that powerful to change our heart and mind!

_______________________

This month (of August), I would like to giveaway TWO (2) FREE BOOKS entitle Battlefield of the Mind: Winning the Battle in Your Mind (2002) by Joyce Meyer. All you have to do:

1) Write a comment (below) on this blog post:

"I want to read Battlefield of the Mind because........"

2) Share an article (from this blog) on your social media such as Facebook, Twitter, etc.

3) Send to me your home (or recent) address for me to post the book. You may do it through my FB Messenger or if you know me personally, through WhatsApp or SMS.

[P.s: This offer is available to my readers in Malaysia ONLY. And if you already received my free books before, you can only request again after 3 months. Btw, why don't promote this to your friends?]

THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.

Book Review: Deliver Us from Evil (1973) by Don Basham

Deliver Us from Evil (1973) by Don Basham

I read this book as soon as I finished Francis McNutt's Deliverance from Evil Spirits (see the previous book review). This book came as a surprise to me. I didn't think I would like it as much as I did. If truth be told, I went into it a bit critical and skeptical. I'm just not one to subscribe to all these manifesting spiritual things. But the way the book was written, you know that Don Basham was really experiencing this. For what reason he was 'chosen' to deal with this phenomenon events is another story (though he wrote the details of how he called into this ministry. But by him coming from a completely conservative background to be thrown in the midst of manifestations of evil, is quite bizarre and had me thinking a lot. The book was well written on this subject and I learned a lot.

The "censored quarter of Christ's ministry," in Basham's estimation, is the part involving evil spirits or demons. He claims that one-quarter of Christ's ministry was devoted to deliverance ministry, yet the Christian church - during his day and even today - often chooses to ignore it totally or partially (or avoid this topic altogether). Basham has spent years counseling people with chronic problems and addictions. But throughout the course of his work, he was amazed to discover that exercising authority over demons could achieve in an instant what months of personal counseling often failed to do (not that he discounted the counselling ministry. Not all sickness and problems caused by demons but mostly are, said the author. We must be careful, of course). And so deliverance became not a fearful thing to him, but a thing of hope and reassurance. Don believes that "the ministry he now understands means more than (just) deliverance 'from' evil, it means deliver 'into' health and well-being." With real-life stories and vast experiences, the writer hooked me into reading this book to the end. Very good!

This book is now updated (this one is the first published version) and had a new title, "A Pastor's Reluctant Encounters with the Power of Darkness." I would recommend this book to anyone wanting to know more about this subject.

THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.

Book Review: Deliverance from Evil Spirits (2009) by Francis MacNutt

Deliverance from Evil Spirits: A Practical Manual (1995, 2009)
by Francis MacNutt

This is not my favorite genres. Angelology, Demonology and Spiritual Warfare topics seem too much for me to bear and digest. In the past, I read few of Mary K. Baxter's books, one Choo Thomas' Heaven is So Real!, one during my campus mission trip by Billy Graham entitled Angels, and recently Visions of Heaven by H. A. Baker. I'm curious and also skeptical. Come to think about it, I highly doubt Mary Baxter's and Choo Thomas's personal revelations. Billy Graham's is more believable because he supported his stories with the Scripture.

About this book. I read it because I'm going to attend a seminar based on this topic next week. At first, I read it out of obligation (to quickly finished my assignment), but after few chapters, I'm hooked. Of course, I read it with an open mind, critical thinking and prayed for a teachable spirit. I have to admit that this is one of the more balanced books on the topic of deliverance. The author points out the importance of discerning when the problem or a display of behavior is simply an expression of human emotions and the person may be purging his thoughts and feelings and when it may be influenced by evil spirits.

Francis mentions how many people (especially ministers) have caused damage to people who were already suffering by trying to exorcise demons from them when people were just experiencing pain and grief and needed tender loving care and comforting. He also mentions cases where people have developed multiple personality disorder from abuse and again how they are in need of healing and therapy, and not of exorcising demons. He advises ministers to be especially careful to not treat mental/physical/emotional wounds as demonic oppression. He repeatedly emphasizes the need for discernment and humility in this work. Be careful.

I like how MacNutt emphasizes the reality of what we see in the Scripture, especially in the Gospels and in Jesus' own ministry, in relation to the deliverance of demons/evil spirits. He shows how the deliverance ministry is as essential today as it was then and the church needs to be the experts in it. There is plenty of evidence in this book that demonic oppression is active in our cultures and the world today (but I might not agree with all the things that he said in this book. In fact, I have more questions than answers). MacNutt also gives good advice and warnings for Christian ministers. I personally think that he could emphasize more than he does how important a person's own devotional life is when involving in deliverance ministry, and this includes the necessity of having people to pray for and over his or her ministry and family members.

Overall, MacNutt is thoroughly Scriptural and Christ-centred in his approach to deliverance. He does not present himself as a super-minister who stands above others in ministry, but he sees himself as part of the larger body of Christians and as one who needs others. I respect that. Francis and his wife, Judith, founded Christian Healing Ministry to expand the often-forgotten, often-avoided ministry of deliverance. He writes, "Only when we are able to free the oppressed and heal those suffering from the curse of sickness can we really preach Christ's basic message: The Kingdom of God is at hand and the kingdom of Satan is being destroyed."

There are seven (7) parts in this book:

Part 1: Necessary Background: Clearing Away Misconceptions [How I Got Involved in Casting Out Demons: A Parable for the Church]

Part 2: The Existence and Kinds of Evil Spirits [Do Demons Really Exist? The Scriptural Evidence / What Is the Evidence of Human Experience? / Should We Call It Possession? / How Do We Know If an Evil Spirit Is Really Present? / The Different Kinds of Evil Spirits]

Part 3: Curses and the Power of False Judgement [Falling Under a Curse / Curse-like Judgement and Ties That Bind / Who Can Pray for Deliverance?]

Part 4: Getting Ready [How to Prepare / Selecting a Team / How the Demonized Person Prepares for Deliverance]

Part 5: How to Pray for Deliverance [The Basic Form / Freeing a Person from Spirits of Trauma / Spirit of Sin / Spirit of the Occult / Satanic Ritual Abuse (SRA) / Other Kinds of Spirits / Deliverance through ‘Blessed Objects' / Follow-Up]

Part 6: Setting Places Free [Larger Dimensions of Deliverance / Deliverance of Places]

Part 7: Final Words [Baptism of the Holy Spirit]

Since Francis MacNutt often quotes Derek Prince, I now listened to Prince's sermons – YouTube and audio Mp3s.

THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.

Jesus, I Do Believe; Help Me Overcome My Unbelief (Mark 9:14-29)

Jesus, Peter, James and John were coming down the mountain…
“When they come to the other disciples, they saw a large crowd around them and the teachers of the law arguing with them. As soon as all the people saw Jesus, they were overwhelmed with wonder and ran to greet him. ‘What are you arguing with them about?’ he asked. A man in the crowd answered, ‘Teacher, I brought you my son, who is possessed by a spirit that has robbed him of speech. Whenever it seizes him, it throws him to the ground. He foams at the mouth, gnashes his teeth and becomes rigid. I asked your disciples to drive out the spirit, but they could not.’ ‘You unbelieving generation,’ Jesus replied, ‘how long shall I stay with you? How long shall I put up with you? Bring the boy to me.’ So they bought him. When the spirit saw Jesus, it immediately threw the boy into a convulsion. He fell to the ground and rolled around, foaming at the mouth. Jesus asked the boy’s father, ‘How long has he been like this?’”
(Mark 9:14-21, NIV).

“From childhood,” the father cries helplessly. “It has often thrown him into fire or water to kill him. But if you can do anything, take pity on us and help us” (Mark 9:22). Jesus then encourages the man to have faith, to believe in Him. “Everything is possible for one who believes” (9:23). But the confused father cries the words that describe the state of faith in most Christians: “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!” (9:24). When I first read it, it sounds like a contradictory statement. But I personally identify with that man as I heard myself once prayed, “Lord, I believe in You and Your power. But I’m having trouble believing in You for a particular situation. Help me in this area of my faith.” The statement is not contradictory – it’s reality! So, Jesus responded the desperate father by delivering his son from the evil spirit (read Mark 9:25-27).

Faith, in simple terms, is the ability to see and act upon what God can do in a certain situation. For example, Oliver can “see” his friend Khai coming to Christ in the future, so he prays for Khai and invites him often to a campus Bible Study. Supang “see” God active in her life as a result of her personal quite time, so she spends 10-15 minutes each morning before she go to work reading the Word and praying to God. Faith look ahead to see what God wants to do and then acts on what it sees. The Bible uses strong words to describe the role of faith in the Christian life: “Without faith it is impossible to please God” (Hebrews 11:6); “The righteous will live by faith” (Romans 1:17); “Everything that does not come from faith is sin” (Romans 14:23). In 1 Corinthians 13:13, the apostle Paul said faith was one of the three great qualities in the Christian life – the others being hope and love. In Christian life, faith is indispensable.

But in reality, there are times when our faiths can look ahead and see God at work; but there are also times when doubt, worry and spiritual ignorance can blinded us to what God wants to do. The father in Mark 9 could see God doing somethings, but he couldn’t see his son being delivered from the evil spirit. Oliver can see Khai becoming a Christian, but he has difficulty seeing God at work in his studies, so he worries about CGPAs constantly. Supang sees God at work as a result of her quite time, but sometimes she is unable to see God’s provision for her financial needs, so she seldom gives any generous gift to the church. Yes, faith is sometimes like Kit Kat: now you see, now you don’t. Sometimes I’m able to exclaim, “I do believe!” But at other times I beg God to “help me overcome my unbelief.” And if you feel that way too, take heart. It’s a confession that is common to all hopeful Christians.

Two encouraging messages about faith from God’s Word in Mark 9:14-27 that I learned at this moment. First, God is the One who distributes faith to me (read Romans 12:3). I can’t earn it or buy it – God gives it. Second, faith grows in proportion to my relationship with Jesus and the Word of God (see Romans 10:17). I can expect my faith to grow toward “I do believe” and away from “unbelief” as I relate myself to Jesus and His Word through reading, studying, obeying and sharing the truths in the Bible. It assures me to know that even Jesus’ disciples, though they watched Him minister for three years, were often short of faith (see Mark 9:28-29). Perhaps you, like me, are convinced of your need to grow as men and women of faith. Let us recite the disciple’s prayer for more faith: Lord, Jesus “increase our faith!” (Luke 17:5). Amen.

“Everything is possible for one who believes”

THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.

Jesus is able to Rescue Us from Temptation

Jesus crushed the Serpent, the Devil under His feet at the Cross. Jesus wins. 

“And don’t let us yield to temptation,

but rescue us from the evil one”

(Matthew 6:13, NLT).

Traditionally the first half of this verse asks, “Lead us not into temptation” (KJV), but a more accurate translation is “Don’t let us yield to temptation.” God doesn’t tempt us, as James clearly states: “When you are being tempted, do not say, ‘God is tempting me.’ God is never tempted to do wrong, and he never tempts anyone else. Temptation comes from our own desires, which entice us and drag us away” (James 1:13-14, NLT). At times God allows us to be tempted, as a test. But this testing always has a purpose. Always. God continually works to refine his people, teach them to depend on him. How he does this differs in every person’s life. Don’t try to compare.

The next line has been translated “Deliver us from evil” (KJV), but the more accurate translation is “Rescue us from the evil one.” Satan, the evil one, is actively looking for ways to harm God’s people, to throw them off course. Jesus wanted his followers to place their trust in God during trying times and to pray for deliverance from “the evil one” and his deceit. We can’t – absolutely can’t – resist temptation or defeat in our own strength; we must depend on God working in us and in our situation. Believers who pray these last lines of the Lord’s Prayer seriously will realize their sinful nature and their need to depend on God in the face of temptation.

Think about this: All Christians struggle with temptation. A temptation can be so subtle that we don’t even realize what is happening. Yet hear this promise: “God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, he will show a way out so that you can endure” (1 Corinthians 10:13, NLT). When temptations hit, thank God for trusting you that much, ask him to show you what to do, and pray for his strength to deliver you from the evil one. Ask God to show you ways to resist and endure, and thank him in advance for his promise of deliverance.

The truth is Jesus himself when he became human were being tempted (Matthew 4) but he never sinned. The Bible says Jesus “shared fully in our experience of temptation, except that he never sinned. Let us therefore approach the throne of grace will fullest confidence, that we may receive mercy for our failures and grace to help in the hour of need” (Hebrew 4:15-16, J.B. Philips). Thus, as man, Jesus experiences our temptations; as God, he is able to rescue us from temptation and the deceits of the evil one. And even if we fall into temptation (it won’t be long, repent), his mercy and grace is there to lift you up again. Amen.

THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP. 

Jesus feeling Hungry (1st Temptation)

“Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted there by the devil. For forty days and forty nights he fasted and became very hungry. During that time the devil came and said to him, ‘If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become loaves of bread.’ But Jesus told him, ‘No! The Scriptures say, ‘People do not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God’” (Matthew 4:1-4, NLT).

During Jesus’ forty days in the wilderness, he fasted. Fasting, the practice of going without food, and perhaps even water, was used as a way to focus on prayer and preparation. As a human being, Jesus experienced hunger and thirst; in fact, he must have been famished and physically weak after forty days. Satan’s first temptation hit Jesus where he was most vulnerable.

This is Satan’s typical method of operation, attacking where we are vulnerable and making the choice seem simple and logical: ‘Just turn some of these stones into bread and have yourself a small meal.’ What could possibly be so wrong about that? But more was going on here than a seemingly compassionate suggestion for a hungry person to have lunch.

Satan began by saying, “IF you are the Son of God.” Satan was tempting Jesus with his own power. Satan did not doubt that Jesus was the Son of God or that he could indeed make bread from stones. He wanted Jesus to use his power in the wrong way at the wrong time – to meet his own needs rather than fulfil his God-given mission. (God-given power or authority or title shouldn’t be use for our own personal needs. It is for us to serve others). But instead of getting into a discussion or debate with Satan as what Eve had done in Genesis 3:1-7, Jesus refused to entertain any doubt of God’s loving provision. He answered by quoting Scripture. God’s Word is powerful to fight against Satan’s temptation. Keep this in mind: Jesus came to earth to accomplish the Father’s mission. Everything he said and did was directed toward that goal. For Jesus, obedience to the Father’s mission was more important than food – no matter how he felt, no matter what Satan said.

Think about this: This first temptation was physical, often called “the lust of the flesh” (1 John 2:16). Eating is not wrong; we have to eat to live. But one of Satan’s strategies is to take something natural and good and tempt us to use it the wrong way or/and at the wrong time. Our natural desires are good, but they can drive us to sin if we’re not careful. Ask yourself, how might meeting a physical need distract us from focusing well on God? What physical temptation troubles you most? What can you do to resist? Pray to God to help you fulfil your natural physical desires only in the right ways, at the right time – and equip yourself with God’s Word.

‘People do not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God’

THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.

Reference:

Life Application Study Bible Devotional: Daily Wisdom from the Life of Jesus (Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., 2011)

Jesus experience Extreme Temptations for You

“The Spirit then compelled Jesus to go into the wilderness, where he was tempted by Satan for forty days. He was out among the wild animals, and angels took care of him”

(Mark 1:12-13, NLT).

Jesus’ baptism marked the beginning of his public ministry. John the Baptist had been the talk of Israel, and hundreds were going out to see him, hear him preach, and be baptized as a sign of repentance from sin. John told the crowd, “Someone is coming soon who is greater than I am – so much greater that I’m not even worthy to stoop down like a slave and untie the straps of his sandals” (Mark 1:7). When Jesus arrived at the Jordan River where John was baptizing, John exclaimed, “Look! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29). Jesus requested baptism as well. Although reticent at first, John baptized him, and when Jesus came up out of the water, the heavens opened, the Holy Spirit descended, and a voice from heaven declared, “You are my dearly loved Son, and you bring me great joy” (Mark 1:11).

From a purely human standpoint, that would have been an ego moment: dramatic entrance, great crowds, heavenly declaration. Often a high point like that is followed by a low, as the person at the peak begins to think too highly of him- or herself and tumbles.

But there was no ego trip for Jesus. Immediately following this dramatic event, empowered by the Holy Spirit, Jesus left the crowds behind and took the offensive against the enemy, Satan, by going into the lonely and desolate wilderness to fight temptation. The fact that Jesus was “compelled” to go there doesn’t mean he was reluctant but rather that Jesus was determined to go, in agreement with the Sprit. (Notice that Satan is real and personal, not an idea or force. A fallen angel, Satan, the devil, is the powerful enemy of God and his people. He should be taken seriously. But at the same time, we should know Jesus is more powerful and no match for Satan. Amen!).

Think about this: The writer of Hebrews explains that Jesus “faced all of the same testing we do, yet he did not sin” (Hebrews 4:15). Jesus would have been vulnerable – suddenly alone – away from his followers and the crowd, in a hostile environment and hungry. When Jesus became a living, breathing human being, he submitted himself fully to human limitations. He would have felt elation at his baptism, sensing the closeness of his Father and excitement about beginning his public ministry. Then he would have felt the chill of the wind as he sat on the hard ground. He would have experienced gnawing hunger and thirst. The temptation were real.

From Jesus’ experience we learn that God may lead us into dangerous and intense spiritual battles. We won’t always feel good; in fact, we will have times of deprivation, loneliness, and hostility. It also teaches us that Jesus did, in fact, experience extreme temptations; he knows what we’re facing, and he knows how we feel. Therefore, Jesus is able to deliver us from evil and temptations. Isn’t our God is understanding, personal and awesome? Praise God.

Jesus, the God-man, was willing to suffer temptation in order to understand you

and to show you the way to stand against it. Jesus is able. God is good.

THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.

Reference:

Life Application Study Bible Devotional: Daily Wisdom from the Life of Jesus (Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., 2011)