Our Mission Budget and Upcoming Trips

We are making our budget public so as to be accountable to our donors and the body of Christ. If you would like a complete copy it can be provided. Below are some items that we need covered so we ask for your prayers. We are hands-on involved in all of the ministries and projects listed below each year. (following the budget items is a list of our first few trips in 2009).

We are thankful for the parts of the budget that have already been funded, including: $100 monthly for Ukraine family camp, $100 monthly to support a needy girl and her family in the Ukraine, $100 monthly to support local ministry among the homeless in Roanoke, $4000 for mission scholarships. Also in 2008 money has been provided for the following projects on primitive Fuga Island in the Philippines: funds to build a church, provision of a generator to the church, funds for the purchase of a boat for the pastor and ministry.

World Impact Now Budget Needs for 2009

1. Ukraine Drug/Alcohol Center: $100 monthly, $1200 annual. We are hands-on involved in this ministry each year.

2. Kairos Prison Ministry: $100 monthly, $1200 annual. Help us send folks that cannot afford it into US prisons to get involved in a ministry that Chuck Colson of Prison Fellowship has said is the best prison ministry in the States. You can go to www.kairosprisonministry.org to learn of their work.

3. Philippine Gospel Radio: $100 monthly, $1200 annual. We can totally fund a weekly broadcast which proclaims the gospel all over the northern Philippines very cheaply.

4. Philippine Church Planting: $700 monthly, $8400 annual. We want to build a minimum of one church yearly in the Philippines and it can be done very cheaply.

5. Support Poor Pastors in the Philippines, Ukraine, and India: $2050 monthly, $24,600 annual. These figures represent monthly help to nearly 60 poor pastors who are in the trenches. Individuals can support one pastor monthly for $25.

6. Help us send teams overseas: $2000 monthly and $24,000 annual will help cover team leader air travel and provide funds for on the field ministry for at least 6 trips in 2009. These funds would eliminate $500 or more in costs for each individual who wishes to go on a trip with us.

7. Support Todd and his family in missions. We currently have $12,600 of $36,000 which we are seeking to raise for next year.

Upcoming Trips in 2009:

1. India: Feb 1-13, pioneering ministry

2. Scotland: March 5-15, construction.

3. Fuga Island, Philippines: April 9-21, evangelism and church planting

Upcoming Trips Need Members for 2009

We are looking for folks who would join us on evangelical Christian mission in the following places:

February 1-13, 2009 trip to India, several locations for exciting pionerring ministry. Cost is $2500

March 5-15, 2009 trip to Scotland for a construction trip at an outreach center, www.overtounhouse.com. Cost is $2000

April 9-21, 2009 trip to Fuga Island Philippines for evangelism and church planting. Cost is $2500

Travel With us to Scotland, India, Ukraine

We are looking for folks who would join us on evangelical Christian mission in the following places:

Ukraine work with Messianic Jews reaching out to Jew and Gentile in Eastern Europe: Nov 6-16, 2008. Estimated cost is $2000

February 2009 trip to India, several locations. This will be more intense than Ukraine or Scotland below. More info later. Estimated cost is $2500

Next year date to be determined to Scotland for a construction trip at an outreach center, www.overtounhouse.com. Estimated cost is $2000

Next year we will shoot for at least 6 trips.

Our website for our ministry is at www.worldimpact-now.com

Overcoming the Serpent and Red Dragon, A Commentary on Revelation 12

The main difficulty we have with overcoming failures of any kind that involve sin is the simple fact of the enemy. If we listen to his lies and fall into his deception then we are unable to hear the voice of the Lord proclaiming our liberation. The truth is that Satan has lost his ability to accuse us any longer. Christ is our advocate before the Father and the truth in Christ our Lord sets us free. Thus the primary task of the enemy towards believers is to lie and deceive. He will do all he can to keep us under spirits of condemnation, lies, and deception. The word devil itself in the Greek means to throw over, divide, accuse, bring charges, slander, reject, misrepresent and deceive. Satan is an interchangeable word which refers to him as our adversary. Scripture tells us the following about the devil:

1. He entices people to do things (1 Chronicles 21:1)

2. He had access to God before Christ (Job 1:6)

2. He was limited by God in the Old Testament, before the coming of Jesus (Job 1:12; Job 2:6)

4. He can physically attack people (Job 2:7; Luke 13:16; 2 Corinthians 12:7)

5. He was an accuser of believers in the presence of the Lord before Christ’s victory (Zechariah 3:1)

6. He tries to divert men’s attention away from the things of the Lord and uses them to accomplish his

purposes (Matthew 16:23; Luke 22:3)

7. He has on occasion requested or demanded permission to work in the lives of believers (Luke 22:31)

8. He sexually tempts men and women in times where they lack self-control (1 Corinthians 7:5)

9. He is the Father of Lies (John 8:44)

10. His first work was one of deception as he communicated with Eve in Genesis 3:13. One of his primary works is to deceive the world (Revelation 12:9) and believers, taking them away from the simplicity and purity of devotion to Christ (2 Corinthians 11:3)

11. He is cursed by God (Genesis 3:14)

12. He was a murderer from the beginning (John 8:44)

13. He takes away the word of God from the heart of some people (Luke 8:12)

14. He oppresses people (Acts 10:38)

15. He plants people in the midst of the churches as tares (Matthew 13:38). They are his sons and daughters.

16. He is a schemer (2 Corinthians 2:11; Ephesians 6:11)

17. He disguises himself as an angel of light in order to deceive (2 Corinthians 2:14)

18. He blinds the minds of unbelievers so that they cannot see the light of the gospel (2 Corinthians 4:4)

19. He can hinder the movement of believers (1 Thessalonians 2:18)

20. He can display power, execute miracles, and perform false wonders (1 Thessalonians 2:9)

21. He condemns (1 Timothy 3:6)

22. He sets snares or traps (1 Timothy 3:7; 2 Timothy 2:26)

23. He used to have the power of death but has such no longer (Hebrews 2:14)

24. He flees when resisted (James 4:7)

25. He prowls about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour (1 Peter 5:8)

26. His works are destroyed by and through the Son of God (1 John 3:8)

27. He has assemblies or control over churches and synagogues (Revelation 2:9; Revelation 3:9)

28. The devil casts believers into prison (Revelation 2:10)

29. He was cast down to earth after the resurrection and ascension of Jesus, full of wrath (Revelation 12:12)

30. He has only a short time to work (Revelation 12:12)

31. He pursues believers while he can and seeks to overcome them through deception/false teaching (Revelation 12:15)

32. The whole world lies in the power of the evil one (1 John 5:19)

33. He is bound (Revelation 20:2). I realize some see this as a future binding and not a current one.

34. Before the very end he will be released from prison (Revelation 20:7)

35. He will be thrown into the lake of fire and brimstone where he will be tormented day and night forever (Revelation 20:10)

36. He is bent on stealing, killing, and destroying (John 10:10)

There is a great deal of material on our enemy and it is good to know about him. However, it is far more important to know of the victory of Jesus and his people that has already been won. Linked with this is the practical knowledge we can glean for the battles that we face with our adversary. The question then is as follows: What was accomplished for us by the cross, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus against Satan, who seeks to keep us as far from God as possible? I can think of no better chapter of Scripture to answer this question than Revelation 12, one of the premier passages giving the foundation of spiritual warfare and some explanation of the reality and nature of the battle between Satan and the Church. There had always been warfare between the people of God and Satan, but following the ascension of Jesus it has become more acute. There are two sections to this chapter, verses 1-6 and verses 7-17. Each looks at the same victory of Jesus from two different angles, one from earth, and the other from heaven.

12:1: “A great sign appeared in heaven; a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars”

This is a picture of the people of God, the covenant community of faith. These are called Israel in the Old Testament and the Church in the New Testament. We turn to Genesis 37:9-11 for the immediate background. Immediately we see pictured here Israel or Jacob as the sun, his wife as the moon, and his 12 children as the stars. The crowns are an expression of the heavenly and glorious character of the church in spite of her fragile and uncertain earthly history.

12:2: “and she was with child; and she cried out, being in labor and in pain to give birth.”

Picture in your mind Israel, the woman, as pregnant with the Christ child. This is a good way to view the entirety of the Old Testament, beginning especially with Genesis 3:15 where we have the first promise of the seed of the woman who will crush the serpent’s head. When you look at Genesis 3:16 you will see also the mention of a woman being in great pain during childbirth. Though this refers to all women it perhaps has an allusion to the painful history of Israel, through which the Messiah would come. By looking at Isa 54:1 and Galatians 4:26-27 we see that the pregnant woman is indeed the faithful followers of God and not national Israel. These birth pangs are represented by the persecution of the faithful remnant or covenant community during the Old Testament and times following leading up to the birth of Jesus. In Isaiah 26:17-18 we see Israel described as being pregnant and in pain. See also Isaiah 66:7 and following.

12:3 “Then another sign appeared in heaven: behold, a great red dragon having seven heads and ten horns, and on his head were seven diadems.”

Compare also Rev 13:1, a description of the beast who is an agent of Satan in the world. There is much OT imagery for the monster that persecutes God’s people. Sometimes the dragon is represented by evil kingdoms like Egypt in the OT. Perhaps here Rome is also being thought of as a dragon. But behind it all is Satan. In the OT Egypt pursued Israel into the wilderness (see Ezekiel 29:3 and Ezekiel 32:2); in the immediate context of Revelation 12 it is Rome that is being used of the devil to pursue the new Israel. The practical key for us is that Satan is always pursuing destruction for the church and he has other agents in league with him, spiritual and human.

The numbers 7 and 10 are numbers in Revelation that represent completeness. The failure to account for Hebrew numerology has led to some fanciful and, in my opinion, erroneous interpretation of several passages in Revelation (such as the 1000 year reign of Jesus and the 144,000). Thus Satan and his representatives are making false claims to sovereignty and earthly kingship. The color red, used to describe the dragon, is perhaps illustrative of blood. We also note that in the Old Testament the dragon lives in the sea. The same is true here in Revelation. Destruction comes from the sea. Perhaps this is why there will no longer be any sea in the new heavens and new earth (Rev 21:1).

12:4 “And his tail swept away a third of the stars of heaven and threw them to the earth. And the dragon stood before the woman who was about to give birth, so that when she gave birth he might devour her child.”

A third of the stars in heaven are swept away by the dragon. Though some may think this is an allusion to the other demons Satan took with him out of heaven in the beginning, it more likely represents his persecution of the saints, represented by stars. In verse 1 above we have already seen that stars represents the children of Jacob or Israel. We also turn to Daniel for more help in defining these starts. See especially Daniel 8:10-12 which speaks of the devil’s warfare against holy saints. Also, Daniel 12:3 refers to saints as stars. Also, we turn to Daniel 7:24-25 to see the persecution of the saints at the hands of Satan’s agent, the anti-Christ. We determine that the saints are those who have been persecuted by the enemy. As in Daniel so also at other times, it looks like the evil one is winning the war. Indeed, he has a God-given time in which he may work, but he has limits in terms of both times and power. On this point see Daniel 7:9-12.

The dragon is standing here before Israel in order to devour her child. As we read through the Old Testament we can see numerous occasions in which the line of Messiah and line of David are nearly extinguished. William Hendriksen says that “the entire Old Testament becomes one story, the story of the conflict between the seed of the woman and the dragon, between Christ and Satan. Here are a few examples: Hendrickson 137-140

1. Genesis 3:15: The seed of the woman is bruised by the serpent but crushes the serpent’s head.

2. Seth, ancestor of Messiah, first in the line of Christ: Satan influences the sons of Seth to marry the daughters of Cain. As a result the entire world is destroyed by a flood, except for Noah and his family.

3. Abraham and Sarah: Sarah is barren but miraculously gives birth to Isaac. The angel of the Lord appears, perhaps the Lord Messiah himself, safeguarding his own birth.

4. Isaac and Rebekah: Rebekah is barren but Jacob comes by a miracle and the line of Messiah continues.

5. Esau wants to kill Jacob but does not do so.

6. Judah has sex with his daughter-in-law, Tamar, whom he thought a prostitute. They and their child are in the direct descent of Jesus.

7. Pharaoh decrees the death of all male born Hebrew children; but not all are put to death.

8. The golden calf incident: idolatry and immorality occurs and God plans to kill all the Jews. However, Moses intercedes and they are saved.

9. David and Saul: On numerous occasions the demonically influenced Saul tries to spear David. He fails to kill him.

10. 2 Kings 11 and Queen Athaliah who kills all the male descendants in the line of David . . . except that one is hidden by Jehosheba. Joash keeps the promised line of Messiah going.

11. Isaiah 7: The King of Judah, Ahaz is going to be destroyed by Israel and Syria. The promise of Virgin birth is given.

12. Esther and the Jews in the 5^th century BC. The Jews are decreed destroyed but are saved through the efforts of Mordecai and King Esther.

13. Matthew 2: King Herod kills all the male children two years old and under in an attempt to kill the King of the Jews. He fails.

14. The crucifixion of Jesus. Satan finally thinks he has won but in fact he has sealed his doom.

The above are just some of several examples whereby the line of Messiah was miraculously preserved. We can also think of the story of Ruth and Boaz, the adultery of Judah with Tamar, and others.

12:5 “and she gave birth to a son, a male child, who is to rule all the nations with a rod of iron; and her child was caught up to God and to his throne.”

In this verse we also see the birth of Jesus and his ascension. It is a snapshot of his birth and kingly destiny, using Psalm 2, which is mentioned also in Revelation 2:27 and Revelation 19:15. The victory and rule of the Messiah over all who rise up against him are highlighted in this verse . Notice that there is no mention of Jesus’ death or burial because the total focus is victory.

12:6 “Then the woman fled into the wilderness where she had a place prepared by God, so that there she would be nourished for one thousand two hundred and sixty days.”

Here we have a replay of the exodus story. Egypt pursued Israel and she went into the wilderness where she will be for 1260 days or 3.5 years, representing the period between the first and second comings of Jesus. See also Revelation 11:2-3 where the church is persecuted for this same period of time. Here we see is the time where the nations are allowed to persecute the church and during this same time the two witnesses will preach the gospel. The two witnesses represent the church and not two figures who will arrive on the scene at some point in the future. When we look at Israel we see them as a nation in the wilderness until they reached the Promised Land. So also is the church. The wilderness is the world. Here we live and are protected by God. The protection is spiritual and not necessarily physical. The world is trying to move us to idolatry and immorality, the same temptations the Israelites faced in the wilderness. We all know the world kills some believers but we are promised a way of escape from all temptations that come our way in the world (1 Cor 10:13). See also Deuteronomy 8:14-16 which describes the provision of God for Israel in the wilderness, a place of fiery serpents and scorpions. Here the encouraging words of commentator Simon Kistemaker: “three factors emerge from spending time in the desert: a person is completely dependent on God to provide for the material and spiritual necessities of life; the desert is always a temporary place; and last, the desert is a place where God trains his people spiritually and prepares them for service. (Revelation, page 359)

12:7-8 “And there was war in heaven, Michael and his angels waging war with the dragon. The dragon and his angels waged war, and they were not strong enough, and there was no longer a place found for them in heaven.”

Here the scene changes but John is talking about the same victory of Christ and defeat of Satan. Now we are looking at it in the spiritual or heavenly realm. This is typical apocalyptic style, to define the same events through different lenses of heaven and earth. Here we see a conflict between holy and demonic angels which mirrors the conflict between the saints and the world. The background for this imagery is Daniel 10 where Michael and the Son of Man (pre-incarnate Christ) fight together for Israel against the demons over both Persia and Greece. Moving this scenario into the time of Jesus we see that now Christ (the Son of Man) is on earth. His battle partner, Michael, is doing the fighting in the heavenly realm. They are still fighting together for the people of God. In fact, it is the crucifixion, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus the Messiah that unleashes or releases the effect of Michael’s victory in heaven. Also helpful here is to turn to Daniel 2:35 which describes a stone striking the statue which represents four kingdoms. The point of that imagery is that four kingdoms were on the way to being established, namely Babylon, Medes-Persians, Greece, and Rome. Rome becomes the strongest of all but is destroyed by the stone or Jesus, whose kingdom replaced that of Rome and will continue forever.

12:9-10 “And the great dragon was thrown down, the serpent of old who is called the devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him. Then I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying, ‘Now the salvation, and the power, and the kingdom of our God and the authority of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren has been thrown down, he who accuses them before God day and night.”

Here we see the results in the heavenly realm of the victory of Jesus described in verse 5. The devil is an accuser and slanderer by definition of the Greek language. The word Satan is akin to “adversary.” He is the one who seeks to overcome others. When we look back at the history of man we see that the role of Satan and his agents in the world, ever since the fall in Genesis 3, is two-fold: to deceive and to slander or accuse. We can look at the example of Job and that of Joshua the high priest in the book of Zechariah as examples of the enemy accusing God’s people. He was permitted to do so by God. In this passage of Scripture we see that the right of Satan to slander is nullified. His basis for slandering any in the past was their sins and the fact that an adequate payment for the sins of human beings had not been paid. With the death and resurrection of Jesus we have the payment and acceptance of that payment by God (propitiation by blood which satisfies the wrath of God against sin). In other words, the privileged place of Satan to come before God as an accuser is taken away by the sacrifice of Jesus. As Romans 8:1 says, “ Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” And later in Romans we are told that no one, not even the former great accuser, can bring a charge against God’s elect children. This is the primary defeat of the devil. The dragon is also a deceiver, a work which he still continues, though even this work has been greatly curbed, as evidenced by the binding of Satan in Revelation 20. The gospel is being proclaimed all over the world and people are coming out of deception. Since the victory of Jesus the people coming to God has been exponential in comparison with the times preceding Jesus. In other words, it is in this sense that Satan is bound and defeated. Yes, he is still active in the world as the final end of his working is in the coming future.

Let us not also diminish the fact that the salvation, power, kingdom, and authority of Christ began 2000 years ago, and is not some event in the future. This is clear from other passages in the Bible such as 1 Corinthians 15:24-28 which says, “For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet.” This tells us that his kingdom has begun but that it is not fully free of all enemies. In the future will come the consummation of his rule, when the last enemy, death will be defeated. Satan is defeated now but allowed to work and fight until the very end. But he is limited and he has no claims upon the people of God. This is typically referred to as the already and not yet aspects of the reign of Jesus. Indeed, as we minister in the name of Jesus we will tread upon our adversary as the disciples did in the gospels. The already won victory of Jesus over Satan in the past is our only ground for our own winnings over his attacks in the present. We see such domination of the dragon by the Christ and his disciples throughout the earthly ministry of Jesus (see Luke 10:17-20) and we are told of the defeat of Satan via the cross by Jesus himself in John 12:31-33. Furthermore, 1 Peter 3:22 tells us that Jesus “has gone into heaven, after angels and authorities and powers had been subjected to him.” We can also look at passages like Colossians 2:15 which tells us that Christ has disarmed the rulers and authorities and made a public display of them. The only conclusion are left to make is that Jesus is reigning and the kingdom is now. What these verses do is help us understand the nature of the victory, as outlined in the paragraph above. The final execution of our great enemy comes at a future date. He is bound now and has a chain hooked to him which limits his work.

The primary work of the devil against the people of God is lying and deception. We will take a look at this in more detail at the end of Revelation chapter 12, seeing that the Scriptures back this up in great detail. Let us also be reminded that Satan and his hosts fell at the beginning of the first creation due to rebellion. Here also, it should not surprise us that the devil and his demonic legions fall again at the beginning of the second or new creation, which began with the resurrection of Jesus from the grave.

12:11 “And they overcame him because of the blood of the Lamb and because of the word of their testimony, and they did not love their life even when faced with death.”

This is how we have practically overcome the devil’s accusations and deception. It is the blood of Jesus that enables us to win battles against him. We are forgiven and thus can no longer be accused before God. He will not hear any accusations against those whose sins have been forgiven. This is remarkable and hard to believe in practical living at times. What happens now is that the devil lies to us and accuses us to our faces. He has no audience with God as the Lord is for us. So, he tries to lie to us and deceive us so that we will believe we are not forgiven. Once we grant him this ground then he has us in his hands to keep us from fulfilling our roles in the life-giving, life-changing, world-changing work of the gospel. Our ability to influence and do amazing things in the name of Jesus is largely made null and void as long as we are under the sway of his lying messages about ourselves and our standing before God.

This is why it is important for those who are forgiven to testify to others about it! This is given to us as part of the armor of God, which results in the practical defeat of Satan in my own personal experience. This is what Ephesians means when it tells us to shod our feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace (Eph 6:15). The testimony of sinner-saints over the penalty and power of sin results in stripping the devil of the power that we allow him to have over us. To the degree that you trust in the full effect and benefits of the blood of Christ upon your failures, to that same degree will you trample on the head of the serpent.

12:12 “For this reason, rejoice, O heavens and you who dwell in them. Woe to the earth and the sea, because the devil has come down to you, having great wrath, knowing that he has only a short time.”

Now we are getting into the clearer explanation of what the defeat of Satan means for us. He has been kicked out of heaven as an accuser of the brethren. Now people can be free. The dragon failed to extinguish the Christ. All his efforts backfired, resulting in his current and future defeat. His doom has been sealed. So now there is rejoicing for all those in heaven, the triumphant church, those no longer living on the earth. We who remain, the militant church, must continue to face the angry serpent who is allowed to wreak havoc in the world for a period of time. Knowing that he has only a short time is motivational fodder for our enemy. Thus, he will do what he can to harm the church while he has the opportunity. He has limited power and limited time. In addition, we are told in Scripture that the gates of hell will never prevail against the church (Matthew 16:18) and that God will never desert or forsake his people (Hebrews 13:5)

The time frame where Jesus is allowed to work is defined as three and one half figurative years, representing the time between Christ’s ascension and His second coming. We see this same time period mentioned in Revelation 11:2 where the nations are permitted to tread underfoot the holy city for a period of forty-two months. In Revelation 13:5 we read that the beast is given an arrogant mouth and authority to act for forty-two months. Thus we have a clear time frame given for the actions of the serpent against the people of God. At the end of this period the kingdom of God will be handed over by Jesus to God the Father and Satan’s final demise will occur. We are left to conclude that Jesus reigns now and has all authority now; but at the same time Satan is still allowed to act with great wrath on the earth for a designated period of time.

12:13 “And when the dragon saw that he was thrown down to the earth, he persecuted the woman who gave birth to the male child.”

For the fifth time in this chapter we are told of the throwing down of the dragon. After this he became bent on persecuting the woman, the faithful people of God. This reminds us of Pharaoh who pursued the fleeing Israelites into the wilderness.

12:14 “But the two wings of the great eagle were given to the woman, so that she could fly into the wilderness to her place, where she was nourished for a time and times and half a time, from the presence of the serpent.”

As in most of the Apocalypse this verse is steeped in the Old Testament. God bore the Israelites on eagles’ wings in rescuing them from the Egyptians (Exodus 19:4; Deuteronomy 32:11). Psalm 91:4 tells us that under his wings we may seek refuge. The weary, the tired, and those who stumble who choose to wait for the Lord will gain new strength, mounting up with wings like eagles. The picture here is no doubt meant to remind us of the Exodus journey out of danger once again. Just as Israel went into the wilderness, so does the church. It is the place we live between the accomplished victory of Jesus and His glorious return. Thus we are assured protection and in the end victory against the wrathful dragon. See again Matthew 16:18 and Hebrews 13:5 which were mentioned above.

12:15 “And the serpent poured water like a river out of his mouth after the woman, so that he might cause her to be swept away with the flood.”

The pouring out of water against us here represents the attempts of the enemy to deceive the children of God through a flood of words. He uses false teachers, compromisers, and demons to accomplish this work. We see this is the case by examining other Scriptures once again. Perhaps we are meant to recall Pharaoh who proclaimed that every male Hebrew child was to be cast into the sea (Exodus 1:22). Consider also Psalm 144:7-8 in which David prays, “Rescue me and deliver me out of the great waters, out of the hand of aliens whose mouths speak deceit, and whose right hand is a right hand of falsehood.” Even here in Revelation 16:13 we see that out of the mouth of the dragon, beast, and false prophet come three unclean demonic spirits who perform miracles. The primary work of the evil one against us is to deceive us and keep us from enjoying all that has been won for us by Christ. In this way, he tries to separate us from fellowship with God and useful service to him. Many such Christians are right now in bondage to his lies and deception. The scriptures are clear that Satan parades as an angel of light, plants wicked tares in the churches, and does all he can to lead believers astray.

12:16 “But the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened its mouth and drank up the river which the dragon poured out of his mouth.”

Isaiah 43:2 tells us that when we pass through the waters, God will be with us; the rivers will not overflow us. Exodus 15:12 describes the defeat of the pursuing Egyptian army at the time of the Exodus as being swallowed by the earth. Thus here we have another picture from the Exodus to show us that God is for us and will help us against our enemies, especially versus our arch-enemy, Satan himself. Another story where we see the earth work for God is in the rebellion of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram in Numbers 16. If you read that story you will see that these men led 250 other Israelites in rebellion against Moses. They accused Moses of not leading them to a land flowing with milk and honey nor to an inheritance of fields and vineyards. Is this not exactly the kind of deception and lies the devil uses against us? Indeed it is! The result for Korah, Dathan, and Abiram was that the earth opened up and swallowed them and their families along with all of their possessions. Thus we are to learn that all the attempts of the evil one to drown the church through lies and deception shall not succeed. As Ezekiel 29:3 reminds us God once turned back the plans of Pharaoh who is described as the great monster who lives in the midst of the rivers.” In Ezekiel 32:2-3 he is described as a monster in the river that has muddied the waters. Pharaoh failed in all his attempts. Likewise, here in Revelation 12 we see that the enemy has failed in a second exodus attempt to destroy the people of the Lord!

12:17 “So the dragon was enraged with the woman, and went off to make war with the rest of her children, who keep the commandments of God and hold to the testimony of Jesus.”

Having failed over and over, the dragon is determined to make war with the individual followers of Jesus. This is what he is doing, concerning himself most with the true followers of Christ who want to make a difference in the world. We are the sons of Zion who proceed to follow the leading son of Zion, Jesus himself (Isaiah 66:7-8). Like him, we too will be persecuted. As long as we cling to Jesus and His work we shall overcome. Nothing shall be impossible for us as we tread upon all the power of the evil one through him.

We see from this glorious chapter that Satan is a five-time loser:

1. He attempted to devour the male child but failed (12:5)

2. He fought against Michael and his angels (12:9)

3. He pursued the woman but God prepared a place for her in the wilderness (12:6, 14)

4. He poured out the water of deception to try and overcome the woman but the earth swallowed up the water (12:15-16)

5. He makes war against individual believers but they are intent on obeying God’s commands and holding to the testimony of Jesus (12:17)

In conclusion we quote another great passage referring to the defeat of the dragon at the time of the first exodus. It is found in Psalm 74:14-15: “You divided the sea by your strength; you broke the heads of the sea monsters in the waters. You crushed the heads of Leviathan; you gave him as food for the creatures of the wilderness. You broke open springs and torrents; you dried up ever-flowing streams.” God is our deliverer and the means by which Satan and his fiends have been vanquished is the blood of Jesus, his resurrection, and his ascension. All of these works of Jesus are highlighted in the chapter and repeatedly we are told of the failure of the devil to win. This chapter has explained for us the reality and the nature of two things: the ongoing attacks of the devil against us and the never-failing accomplishments of Jesus in which any who wish may find real victory in all of the practical issues of life, even to the point of overcoming great moral failure. It is up to you and I to live out the ramifications of these truths which can certainly bring us freedom. Nothing shall ever separate us from the love of Christ and no enemy can take us out of his hand!

Robert Plant and Alison Krauss Roanoke Concert

I find myself already looking with interest to go see this concert again somewhere else. Bo Diddley's "Who Do Ya Love" sandwiched within Townes Van Zandt's Nothin' on the day of Diddley's death was smokin' sweet last night as I witnessed the lead of my favorite band (Zeppelin) and the angel of music, Alison Krauss perform at the Roanoke Civic Center. It was a shame that only a pinch above 4000 people were at the show but it is somewhat typical of audience turnout for concerts in our city. (Well, plus the ticket prices!) Perhaps those in the "Noke have Krauss to thank for coming to a smaller venue when bigger stages like Charlotte and Greensboro were neglected. She has musical roots in the area and has been here on several occasions. She even asked the crowd to say hello to one of her local heroes living in the area, banjo player Gene Parker.

The concert was over two hours long and better than I anticipated. I had watched some of their CMT crossroads show online but it did not prepare me for the diversely rich experience I had last night. It was rather a comical display of contrasts at time-- Robert Plant, the jovial performer vs Alison Krauss, composed church girl. However, what was proven is that seeming opposites can work well together. Perhaps there are some life lessons to be learned from this . . . What we witnessed was an amazing tribute to the varied roots that have influenced the musical careers of Alison and Robert. In addition, they showed why there is all the rave about their Raising Sand album and tour.

The band played most of their songs from "Raising Sand," opening with "Rich Woman" and singing another favorite, "Gone, Gone, Gone" toward the end. However, it was the performances of "Trampled Rose" and "Nothin'" from Raising Sand that were my faves from that album. Alison seemed like a singer from another world on Trampled Rose, which evoked oohs and ahhs from the crowd. In addition, the band and Plant smoked it on the aforementioned Nothin' (with Who Do Ya Love inserted). Speaking of the band, led by T-bone Burnett . . . as Randy Jackson from American Idol would say, "That right there was molten hot." Some of the top musicians in their field were on hand, including multi-instrumentalist Buddy Miller, violinist Stuart Duncan (whom Krauss called her favorite violinist), Jay Bellerose on drums, and Dennis Crouch on double bass. Of course, let us not forget Alison herself on violin.

I was happy Plant did not have his chest showing via unbuttoned shirt with tight jeans revealing his package, as in old Zeppelin days. He looked smooth even at 59 and drew quite the raucous cheers when he blew on the harmonica to honor the passing Bo Diddley. The performance of Zep's Battle For Evermore was intoxicating as was the absolutely surprising rendition of Black Country Woman, with some sweeeeeeeet violin and boisterous harmonizing between the two stars of the night. The other Led Zeppelin songs of the night were Black Dog (with spooky banjo) and When the Levee Breaks (double violin, are you kidding? Wow) . The rearrangements of these songs with violin, mandolin, and haunting harmony was somewhat stunning. Plant and Krauss nailed Robert's "In the Mood" hit single from 1993. This was no doubt enhanced by the introduction in the middle of "Mattie Groves," a ballad from the 1600's. What was superb about many of these songs were that they were extended versions, thanks no doubt to producer T-Bone Burnett's genius.

What I appreciated about this concert was that both Plant and Krauss were committed to the band and the music, neither upstaging the other. I would say Alison shined in the first half of the show and Robert in the second. Part of this was due to Alison's late performance struggles with her sound equipment that was attached to the back of her dress! It provided the only distraction of the night, other than the stunning beauty which she exhibits (though I was just a tad too far to get a clean look, being in row 27). Plant was definitely the better stage performer in terms of expression and movement. But I must ask, " how does Alison sing like a being from another land with so little effort?"

"Leave My Woman Alone" was a great surprise song (written by Ray Charles). Another stunner was Alison's rendition of Emmylou's "Green Pastures" with wonderful gospel lyrics:

Going up home to live in green pastures
Where we shall live and die never more
Even The Lord will be in that number
When we shall reach that Heavenly Shore

We will not heed the voice of the stranger
For he would lead us to despair
Following on with Jesus our savior
We shall all reach that country so fair

All in all it is hard to pick a favorite song from this concert. The joy of it was manifold:

1. Hearing rock, blues, bluegrass, country, and gospel in one show
2. Seeing two musical demi-gods humble themselves for the benefit of the whole project
3. A smokin' hot band
4. Haunting Harmony
5. Alison and Robert blasting out their lungs on Zeppelin tunes
6. Plant's pure display of his love for his musical roots, still kickin it at 59.
7. The angelic voice of Krauss, 36 years old and plenty left

Here is an incomplete set list of songs played during this concert, not in order, and perhaps missing a couple. Perhaps I will update this section when I can get a completely accurate list. If anyone has an accurate list please send it to me! After one day my memory is shot.

1. Rich Woman from Raising Sand
2. Leave My Woman Alone by Ray Charles
3. Let Your Loss Be Your Lesson from Raising Sand
4. Black Dog by Led Zeppelin (mind-boggling arrangement)
5. Sister Rosetta Goes Before Us from Raising Sand
6. Through the Morning, Through the Night from Raising Sand
7. Fortune Teller from Raising Sand
8. Black Country Woman by Led Zeppelin (surprised by how good this was)
9. Waiting for a long time (not sure if correct song here) by T-Bone Burnett and band
10. Bons Temps Rouler performed by T-Bone Burnett and the Band
11. In the Mood, Plant's 1993 hit (with Mattie Groves mixed in the middle)
12. Trampled Rose from Raising Sand (Haunting and angelic from Alison)
13. Green Pastures by Emmylou Harris (Krauss solo)
14. Down to the River to Pray (Plant joins Duncan and Miller on backup vocals)
15. Nothin' from Raising Sand (featuring Plant) with Who Do Ya Love mixed into the middle.
16. Killing the Blues from Raising Sand
17. One Woman Man by George Jones
18. You Don't Knock by The Kingston Trio
19. The Battle of Evermore by Led Zepp
20. One Woman Man by George Jones
20. Please Read the Letter from Raising Sand
21. Gone Gone Gone (Done Moved On) from Raising Sand
22. Stick With Me Baby from Raising Sand
23. When the Levee Breaks by Led Zeppelin
24. Your Long Journey from Raising Sand

Go to Youtube.com and you can see some of these songs performed in various cities.

The Band:

• Robert Plant - Vocals
• Alison Krauss - Vocals and fiddles
• T Bone Burnett - Guitars and vocals
• Stuart Duncan - Guitars and mandolins
• Buddy Miller - Guitars, mandolins, pedal steel and autoharp
• Dennis Crouch - Bass and banjo
• Jay Bellerose - Drums and percussion

Last Boat Out of Fuga

Typhoon Halong cuts across our landing as we arrive in Claveria. See the video at the beginning of our boat ride.

We stood on the beach and watched the boat arrive which would transport our team from Fuga Island to Claveria, on the Philippine “mainland.” We had been stuck on the island for three days due to stormy weather and rough seas. As a result I had missed a preaching engagement as well as our one day pastor’s conference. This reminded us that we propose plans and God disposes of those not factored into His own plan.

The security for the island, new this year, made sure our team of 12 (8 Filipinos and 4 Americans) had priority for the crossing. The security men donned an old rifle and a sawed off shotgun. It would be the last boat off the island. We watched as our baggage and the stuff of others was loaded and covered. And then, in typical fashion an additional host of people joined us as we climbed onboard. There was a total of @25 persons which included the boat crew. Yes, it seemed overloaded, but this was no new feeling! Our team of seven men, 3 ladies, and two kids was stoked about finally getting off the primitive island and going back to civilization.

It was around 11:45 when we left and I guessed an arrival in Claveria around 2:30 pm, based on our previous crossing of the South China Sea to the island. It was cloudy and a little breezy and we all knew if we did not take this boat we might be here a few more days. This would mean missing our international flight home, rescheduling many flights, and other hassles. Little did we know that this trip would take more than four hours and we would make landfall as Typhoon Halong (also known as Cosme) was sweeping through.

The first half of our trip was uneventful. The seas were a little rougher than our first crossing where the sea had been like glass and we sped along to Fuga. It drizzled a little. After a time the waves grew bigger and I began to think of the power of the sea and the majesty of God in particular. Pastor Danny, sitting in front of me was singing from time to time. He was holding his son, covered by a tarp and sleeping. His wife sat beside my daughter Kaitlyn on a bench with their other son basically wrapped in a clear plastic bag. Her name is Heizel and she would scream in the moments to follow as the water of the waves slapped her in the face. Strangely, some of the unbelievers on the boat seemed to hold to the superstition that if we made noise the waves would grow bigger.

Indeed, we would all leave this trip drenched. I was so close to the sea that I could stretch my foot out into the water. I enjoyed a fair share of face shots from the waves which took my breath away from time to time. I looked behind me and saw my daughter Kaitlyn holding hands with Sarabeth, the other 17 year old teenage girl on our team. Pastor Randy sat behind me and I suppose he was in prayer and deep thought as he usually is on such crossings. After this trip his wife told me he came home and cried as he sat in silence looking at his two daughters. Pastors Allan and Glenn stood at the back of the boat. Pastor Jong moved about talking to the crew. Billy Webb, the other American man besides me, would stand up and hug a center post for the last half of the trip.

I began to watch as the waves crested and grew. I imagined the boat being totally swamped by one of them and yes . . . I considered the movie The Perfect Storm. At times I felt the thrill of a roller coaster ride. The crew then became more active, pushing and pulling the ropes on the boat to adjust to the crashing waves. They stood on wooden supports just over the water. One of the crew was pulled back into the boat by Pastor Allan and another almost went into the water as well.

After a few hours we were riding parallel to the shore and I began to think of the Apostle Paul in the book of Acts—as their boat headed for the land. I wondered if we might just break for the shore and hope for the best at some random landing. We saw only one other boat on the entire journey. We heard of one other that had to jettison part of its cargo in order to get safely to shore. Well, we were not heading for shore. We kept riding over the awesome looking waves and from time to time the right side of the boat would lift into the air, giving us the sensation of the boat flipping over. The gas was getting lower, though we were in no immediate danger of running out. That would have been disastrous. I looked in vain for the familiar site of the Claveria landing. We were crawling through the tumultuous sea.

Finally, after nearly four hours one of our Pastors, Jong, told the boat operator to head for an alternative landing. Thus, we turned left and began riding the waves toward the shore. But the engines sputtered due to water and we had to turn around and head back out to sea. I remember Billy repeating, “Why are we not landing; why are we heading back out?” He was incredulous. But the Briggs and Straton engines kicked in again and we made our second attempt. (Yes, these boats run on a basic lawn-mower engine.) This time we surfed the boat in and made it out of the heavy sea to an inlet. One man had been constantly crossing himself and muttering prayers. I looked at Pastor Danny who was actually crying tears of joy. We had made it and even the unbelievers onboard were thanking God.

The typhoon rain began just as we arrived. Back in Laoag City folks were praying and fasting. In America some were praying also. Our team went to Pastor Glenn’s parents’ home and we had a light meal before renting a bus to Laoag City. We arrived there after 8:00 pm and all were intrigued to hear about our ride. I finally went to bed around 1:00 a.m.

The next day those of us onboard were still talking about God’s deliverance from the typhoon driven waves. Indeed, the memory of this South China Sea crossing could threaten to dominate our minds as we think back on the May 2008 Fuga trip. However, at least for me, that cannot happen. Instead, I choose to focus on something much more monumental. A few nights prior to this ride I had asked many in a small village, “Does anyone here want to be saved?” I was surprised to see a man raise his hand and then as I asked him to come forward, others followed suit. Men, women, and children responded to the offer of salvation in Jesus Christ and then told Pastor Allan they would like a bible study to begin in their village. It is the memory of this which will once again take me back to crossing the South China Sea in April 2009 as we seek to be God’s instruments in establishing the kingdom of God among the poor residents on primitive Fuga Island. You are welcome to join us.

Heaven Come to Earth, Time to Strap it on!

A friend of mine told me last night that he was blessed and fortunate to have a passion that intersected with the world's greatest need. That is a great description of God sending Jesus to rescue a needy world.

What is your passion? As gas prices sky-rocket and food prices jump so much that rioting is the order of the day in several countries . . . as we complain about the choices we have on the political field . . . as many men are discouraged and failing in the face of sexual temptations from many angles . . . as stark injustice continues seemingly unabated all over the world . . . as children are living in hell the best they can in many parts of the world . . . as folks dream and talk about a more invasive collision of God's realm with ours . . . what is your passion?

Are we content to sit in our holy huddles? Are we satisfied to wait for folks to come to our churches? Are we gonna keep talking about the void in Christian leadership while we refuse to show initiative? Are we happy to talk the wonderful language of change in the church and world without doing anything? Do we think we can change the world and see God's kingdom come while we Christians remain sectarian and not cooperating with one another? I write as one guilty of all of the above at one time or another?

What will I do? I am compelled to fight for change, to continue to pray for God's kingdom to come down while learning how this actually happens. I must continue to ask "thy will be done on earth it is in heaven" and then strap on all the gear that puts me off the sidelines and in the action.

The paradox as I look at my own life and face my own calling is that I am too weak to do anything and too strong to sit and watch. When I choose to see and live by the flesh, unfilled with the Spirit, I get discouraged and complain, and talk all the good spiritual talk. When living by the Spirit I get bold and confident, knowing crystal clear what God has called me and others to actually attempt by faith in the world, even things that seem ridiculous to the eyes of the flesh.

It is time for us Christians to step up and be the instruments by which God impacts the world. Here are 10 practical things we can do:

1. Realize that those who are forgiven much love much-- and love more.
2. Realize what Kingdom giving means. In terms of money it is ironic . . . so many do not tithe, realizing it is hard to prove from the NT, yet failing to realize the NT would call us to give more than 10% because grace gives more lavishly than law ever would. If we all even stuck to the Old lawful way of giving a tithe the world would be changed.
3. Start the things you talk about wanting to see in your church and city. We have to stop using the "I'm too busy, someone else must do it" excuse.
4. Forget about retiring from kingdom work. There is only one day that arrives where your contribution is done-- your death.
5. Realize God will not bless the sectarian work of our churches. We have to join together with other churches and Christians. Let's promote other churches and ministries we may not be connected with.
6. Become more ashamed of our lack of biblical knowledge and dive afresh into Scripture.
7. Assault the throne of God in prayer with faith that He will do far more than we can ask or imagine.
8. Take risks of faith even if you must act alone or others think you are nuts.
9. Remember the outlandish promises of God to act in the world through you. He is on the hook to make things happen, not you. Thanks Gary Haugen for teaching me this.
10. Attempt great things for God, expect great things from God.

Pray for our teams as we go to Ukraine and the Philippines during the next month. We need prayer.

Quitting the Organized Church??

"I have written something to the church, but Diotrephes, who likes to put himself first, does not acknowledge our authority." 3 John 9


The picture here is symbolic for many: the local church has fallen into dis-repair so we are leaving to do our own thing.


I have been tempted to join the massive band-wagon of folks who are rejecting the organized local church and striving to get back to something "more pure and holy" or first-centuryish. Those that are leaving include evangelical Christians from various denominations as well as those who are on the fence regarding Jesus. Here is some current thinking by a boat load of people as to why they are abandoning the local church. I will list them, comment on them, and then write why Christians should not and must not abandon the local church.


1. The leaders are nothing more than CEO's and many of them are making too much money and/or building their own kingdoms.
2. Organized religion is not of God. We need to get back to the grass roots of kingdom work.
3. The local church has been swallowed up by consumerism and materialism, watering down the truth in some cases and in others building massive complexes that cost millions of dollars.
4. The church is not about the four walls of a building but about the people.
5. We are gonna meet in homes and do away with titles like Pastor and an authority structure.
6. Where two are three are gathered in Jesus' name is the church. We don't need a building.
7. All the church does is ask for money and they don't spend it wisely.
8. The church is just a social club where people can meet, play a game for an hour or so, and then get back to what is important in their lives.
9. I have gifts and talents that are not noticed or used because I am an outsider or the more popular people are utilized for everything.
10. The church just markets itself instead of doing any real fishing for people or ministry to the needy. There is even a website entitled "Church marketing sucks."
11. Everything in the local church is micro-managed by the elite.


Ok, these are just a few reasons. I would like to hear others. Email me if you have them. I must say I can agree with many of the comments above. So what do we do? Consider the following:


1. Remember that the organized church is biblical. All attempts to meet in fellowship and abandon structure end up structured! Or they fail.
2. There is no escaping that God established the idea of "local church" and He set it up with an authority structure. These are called by God shepherds or overseers.
3. In the New Testament their are tons of local churches and most of them had problems such as: materialism, false teaching, leaders gone bad, sexual immorality, divisions, social clubism, etc. What we are seeing as problems in the churches today is nothing new.
4. Can we really get away with saying that the church exists where two or three or gathered together in His name? I have my doubts.
5. Do not judge house churches too harshly. But they do need leaders and they need to be serious about doing the work of God, rather than a gathering of disconcerted folks who have left one form of organized religion for another.
6. If you believe you have spiritual gifts that are not being utilized meet with leaders in your local assembly and discuss it.
7. Do not neglect meeting together with the local church as this will result in your falling away into false doctrine, neglect of love and good works, and other things.
8. Remember this verse from Hebrews: "Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they are keeping watch over your souls, as those who will have to give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with groaning, for that would be of no advantage to you."
9. Meet with the leaders of your local church if you think the church is departing from biblical foundations. Complaining about it to others will only lead to bitterness and division and perhaps other bad things-- with zero accomplished.
10. Take some initiative and form a small group in your church.
11. There is more than likely a very good local church within an hour of where you live.
12. If you are not following Jesus and do not believe the Scriptures then perhaps leaving the local church is a great idea for you.
13. If you are unhappy about the financial spending of your church designate your gift to a certain area of the church budget. This may not make some pastors happy though!
14. Get back to the grass roots of God's kingdom work. Learn and do the heart of God regardless of what your local church may be doing.
15. Jesus loves the church with a capital C but also local churches. He established them did He not?
16. Is God too small to fix broken local churches?
17. Know what the Bible teaches before making rash decisions. Things are fairly clear.
18. Decide to follow what the Bible teaches before making rash decisions.
19. Substituting TV or internet church as your sole spiritual food and fellowship is not biblical.
20. Remember that until Jesus comes back the local church will be swamped with problems. 21. People in the local church need you. Will you give yourself to God and them for service?
22. Seek to challenge and motivate the local church to action. Let's not be content to just sing and study the Bible.

World Impact Now

"These men who have turned the world upside down have come here also, and they are all acting against the decrees of Caesar, saying that there is another king, Jesus."

World Impact is a ministry based in large part from this verse. It is the conviction that:

1. We are called to be men and women on the move locally, nationally and internationally intent on changing and impacting God's world.
2. We are called to declare Jesus as the rightful king of this world who has all authority to implement kingdom principles into the world He created and owns. This can happen on the corporate and individual levels as the kingdom comes.
3. We are called to act as the feet and hands of Jesus in the world, led by the power of the Holy Spirit, to spread this kingdom of love, mercy, justice, and righteousness. We must do more than sit and pray, hoping He will do something. We must get up and move about in the world. As in Scripture, God is asking: "Who will intercede?"

Our intent is to focus our energies on two areas which seems to sum up the heart of God: justice and righteousness. God is calling us to do our part in loving some of the more neglected groupings of people in the world today. Some of these we list here, realizing the overlapping:

1. Those who have never heard the gospel
2. The poor
3. Widows and elderly people in general
4. Orphans
5. The oppressed
6. The abused
7. The enslaved
8. The sick
9. Those in prison
10. The neglected and hopeless

We know that God has a heart for those suffering injustice and for those lacking in righteousness. Thus the two-pronged gospel is always in effect. Jesus suffered the worst injustice and so is able to identify with others who likewise suffer. And He paid the price demanded by justice with His own blood, resulting in righteousness for all who believe. True righteousness comes only by the blood of Jesus by grace through faith. Having become righteous we must commit our lives to doing what is right and just. Anything less is a sham salvation. As a result the people who make up the church must be Christian activists who GO into three areas:

1. The local community of your village, town, or city
2. Your local country
3. The nations of the world (International)

Two big parts of our task at World Impact will be motivational and practical. We hope to motivate Christians to prove their faith by their works. And we hope to give folks practical opportunities to get involved at various levels with what we do as well as encouragement to start their own outreaches. The invitations most of you will receive from us to GO will be international and national because we do not live in your local area.

We are not foolish enough to believe we can do it all. We are small, we are weak, we are insignificant. Nor do we have all the required gifts, talents, or resources to do it all. We simply have to do what He is calling us to do. We hope and pray that you will hear His calling and do what He says for you to do. Let's show the world what the Church is all about, and more importantly let's work for the fame of Jesus in every nook and cranny of the world.