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DEAR READER
Last month I mentioned the
possibility of praying 10,000 words in a tongue. Below you will
find a further note on the value of the corporate sound in prayer.
Next week, August 20-21, in Quebec, there is a very important
summit of North American leaders. The 'SPP' is a very surprising
initiative that is worthy of more research and prayer. When it
comes to Harry Potter and his popularity amongst Christian youth I
recently wondered if I was over reacting and whether I should just
put a banana in my mouth! Please read on.
PRAYER FOR THE PRIME MINISTER AND THE PRESIDENTS!
On Monday, August 20th, Prime Minister Harper needs our prayers
as he hosts President George Bush and President Felipe Calderon of
Mexico, at Montebello, Quebec for a two day Summit. This is
obviously a very important meeting as a 25 k security perimeter
has been drawn around this little town on the river east of
Ottawa. This is a summit for the little known ' Security and
Prosperity Partnership of North America', abbreviated to 'SPP'. It
was formed in March 2005 by the 3 Heads of State at a meeting in
Cancun and is not an official treaty, but seems to be wide ranging
in its planned effect. In June 2006 the North American
Competiveness Council (NACC) was formed with business leaders who
could advise government leaders, and so the CEO's of the following
Canadian companies also need prayer as they help direct the
process of the SPP:
- Home Depot; Scotiabank; Bell Canada Enterprises; Manulife
Financial; Power Corporation of Canada; Ganong Bros. Limited;
Suncor Energy Inc; CN; Linamar Corporation; Canfor Corporation;
This is a serious business commitment of very important leaders.
It is a challenge in these days to know how to pray for a sovereign
Canada when there is a common trend toward globalization and
continental unions (NAFTA; Free Trade Area of the Americas - FTAA;
European Union; African Union, ASEAN). May our leaders have great
wisdom as they look at 5 main issues:
-
How to make N. America
more competitive and prosperous
- Avian Flu Pandemic preparedness
- Emergency Management
- Energy Security
- Border Security
THE POWER OF THE SOUND IN CHINA
A few months ago I
personally experienced a prayer meeting in a Chinese church that
humbled me immensely. I traveled with a fellow pastor to visit
friends in China and we were invited to attend a morning service
that started at 8:30 am. Being keeners we decided to arrive at
7:00 am while their pre-service prayer took place. On a beautiful
sunny morning imagine our surprise to walk into the building and
find 450 adults on their knees praying, facing the backs of their
chairs. They had been their from 6:00 am and would pray until 7:30
am. Nobody seemed to drift in late! The prayers were led by a
team of women from the platform, and such an intensity of prayer
we had not heard for a long time. A leader would cry out to God
with a passion and fervency in a spirit of prayer that commanded
attention in the congregation and a response in the Heavenlies.
What made me very thoughtful was how the people moved together in
alignment to agree with the prayers. When the leader came to the
end of a prayer statement, everybody said 'AMEN'! in a loud voice.
They said it together with forcefulness so that it went up like a
shout, like a missile again piercing the Heavens. It was a sound
that had power. In the last 15 years this church has grown from a
group of about 20 older people, ages seventy plus, to where they
are now affecting about 2000 people. The Pastor told us that the
church has grown and developed on the basis of prayer and worship
alone.
After the prayer time, the church spent an hour in pre-service
Bible study and hymn practice. At 8:30 am they had a worship
service and then baptized 40 people! By 10:00 am they had had
church! I suspect we have much to learn about the power of
agreement and the spirit of prayer.
In I Corinthians 14:11, the literal Greek is 'the power of the
sound', which is generally translated as the 'meaning of the
language'. Part of our privilege from being made in the image of
God is the ability to create and the ability to speak words.
Genesis chapter one states that 'God said …' and things were
created. The power of the spoken word is still the divine method
for people to be saved - the foolishness of preaching (1 Cor.
1:21), faith still comes by hearing the sound of the Word of God
(Romans 10:17). I can always remember how years ago, a truck
driver uttered a four letter word expletive at me with such power
that I immediately felt defiled. Possibly swearing is the pagan
equivalent of speaking in tongues, but in a different spirit, as
it has the ability to create a very negative effect. Praise God
that on the Day of Pentecost He reversed the judgment of the tower
of Babel and brought the tongues of men under the spirit led
government of God. Acts 12 teaches us that when those called of
God to pray, actually come together to pray with fervency and no
time constraint, then things happen. Let us go deeper in the
Spirit to bring forth the Sound that will please the Father.
HARRY POTTER
Recently I was having a very pleasant lunch with four other
Christians, when one asked another if they had bought the latest
Harry Potter book, and then enthused about it. When I enquired why
they devoted time and money to reading Harry Potter, they
countered by saying that it represented the story of the victory
of good over evil. What amazed me was that two other mature
Christians agreed with him. Was I missing something? Over the
years I have found that the Occult has been something for people
to repent of and be cast out in the name of Jesus. Demonic
influence (demonization), even in believers lives, has had such
terrible effects that I find it a very serious matter. I believe
that Jesus died on the Cross to set us free from the elemental
spirits of the universe (Colossians 2:20), so why would we
encourage our children in occult teaching and fantasy? It is
breathtaking how the World has experienced a Witchcraft revival
with millions dressing up as witches to buy the book at the
witching hour. This must increase the power of the demonic in
communities. The Gospel is irrelevant to many. My concerns:- The Harry Potter series
develops a sympathetic identification with Harry as an advanced
occult adept.
- The purchase of product
and paraphernalia can invite demonic impartation. Such things
should be cleansed from the house.
- A person, especially a
child, could open their spirit to the occult as they dwell on the
themes.
-
It creates another stronghold in peoples minds to make them more
resistant to the Gospel, both in coming to Christ and obeying
Christ.
"There shall not be
found among you anyone who... practices witchcraft, or a
soothsayer, or one who interprets omens, or a sorcerer, or one who
conjures spells, or a medium, or a spiritist, or one who calls up
the dead. For all who do these things are an abomination to the
Lord, and because of these abominations the Lord your God drives
them out..." Deuteronomy 18:10-12.
Is this part of a strong delusion coming upon the world and
infiltrating the church in the last days? I believe that we must
intercede for Canada with zeal.
If you wish to comment on any of this or communicate with us
please send an email to
info@int4canada.com.
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