The Strongman Series: Part 1

It's the classic scenario:

The big, muscle-bound school Bully accosts the skinny little Weakling kid every day. The Bully embarrasses Weakling in front of all the other kids, takes his lunch money, and leaves him with empty pockets. On a good day, Weakling is left with only a bruised ego... On a bad day, maybe a black eye.

After having suffered through this daily harassment for a full school year, poor Weakling  is fed up. He has had all he can take. Over the summer break, Weakling lifts weights, runs, and takes up boxing at the local gym. He is determined to put a stop to Bully's tyranny.

One the first day of the fall semester, Bully sets out to pick up where he left off before the summer - terrorizing Weakling. Only today, Bully is in for a surprise...

Bully finds Weakling, and is a bit surprised. Weakling looks a litter thicker, a little more solid. Weakling has a subtile confident air about him that was never there before. He isn't cowering and trying to find an escape route...

Bully walks up to Weakling and begins to berate him and demand money, as was the custom. Weakling hesitates, and then says "NO!"

At this point, bully - in total shock at this response - makes a move to punch Weakling in the eye. The kids are all gathered round watching, assuming this will go as it always has: Bully will knock Weakling to the ground, then make off with Weakling's cash.

But what an unexpected turn of events!!!!

Weakling ducks the punch then lands a solid blow to Bully's chin, knocking flat! Weakling stands over Bully and boldly announces, "Don't ever mess with me again!"

Consider this:

Just as there are bullies and brutes in the natural realm, there are also bullies and brutes in the spiritual realm. Moreover, there is one Big Bully, who is boss over them all, and his name is Lucifer, and Satan, and Beelzebub, and Belial – among others. He, together with his underlings – his demon army – seeks to terrorize mankind; and, especially, to antagonize Believers.

The Enemy will accost you on every hand for as long as you allow it. He will take your things. He will leave you bruised, and battered, and broke. He will have you living in a constant state of fear, and high alert; always looking over your shoulder trying to spot the bully before he spots you.

But this is NOT how Believers should live.

The Word of God says:

¹⁸ And he said unto them, I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven.

¹⁹ Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you.

²⁰ Notwithstanding in this rejoice not, that the spirits are subject unto you; but rather rejoice, because your names are written in heaven. – Luke 10:18-20

What does this mean for the Believer?

It means that the Believer DOES NOT have to accept nor suffer demonic activity in their lives, because:

1.       We have been given the power to stop this activity in its tracks

2.       We have been given authority to exercise that power

The Word of God says:

³⁷ Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. – Romans 8:37

Let’s look at the Greek text for the phrase “more than conquerors”, as found in the Strong’s Concordance (word number G5245);

ὑπερνικάω

hupernikaō (hoop-er-nik-ah'-o)

From G5228 and G3528;

to vanquish beyond, that is, gain a decisive victory: - more than conquer.

Let’s also look at the definition of “vanquish”

               

van·quish   [vang-kwish, van-]

verb (used with object)

1.       to conquer or subdue by superior force, as in battle.

2.       to defeat in any contest or conflict; be victorious over: to vanquish one's opponent in an argument.

3.       to overcome or overpower: He vanquished all his fears.

What does this mean for the Believer?

The Enemy will do everything he can to strong-arm you out of what you are entitled to through Christ Jesus (your lunch money). He will tell you “you might as well give up and go home, you don’t stand a chance!” He will bring to mind every time you have lost in the past, and use it to try to persuade you that you will lose this time, too.

The Enemy will repeatedly attack you and win, setting in your mind an expectation of defeat. He’ll have you scared to walk down the street (much as Weakling was afraid to walk the school corridors) because you never know when he’s going to pop up. But:

                The Word of God says:

               

                ⁷ For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.

– 2 Timothy 1:7

What does this mean for the Believer?

The Believer has no reason to fear the devil. The spiritually weak Believer need only build up some spiritual muscle. Spend some time in the “Jesus Gym” (yes I really said that) working out with the Word of God!

Weakling had to work on his body in order to build strength. He had to be trained in a form of hand-to-hand combat so that he could do battle with his antagonist. His newly gained strength and skills brought a fresh confidence when he next faced his nemesis.

It works much the same for the Believer in spiritual matters. You must have training, strength, and confidence when you face your spiritual bully (the devil and his workers) or you won’t win. But, through Jesus Christ and the Word of God (the Holy Bible) you have the necessary power to be victorious in battle.

                The Word of God says:

¹⁷ And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils… – Mark 16:17

³⁷ Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. – Romans 8:37

What does this mean for the Believer?

In whose name? Who is ‘he’ and ‘him’?

JESUS!

               

The Word of God says:

¹⁸  And this did she many days. But Paul, being grieved, turned and said to the spirit, I command thee in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her. And he came out the same hour. – Acts 16:18

¹⁰  That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth. – Philippians 2:10

¹⁸  And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All poweris given unto me in heaven and in earth.

– Matthew 28:18

What does this mean for the Believer?

Both the power you have over the Enemy and the authority (permission) by which you exercise that power are given and sustained by Jesus Christ; it is placed in your possession for you to use, but DOES NOT ORINIGATE FROM YOU.

                Consider this:

                Delegated Authority (as defined on Wikipedia.)

Delegated authority is an authority obtained from another that has authority since the authority does not naturally exist.

Typically this is used in a government context where an organization that is created by a legitimate government, such as a Board, City, Town or other Public Corporations to allow them to legally function in the name of the constitutional government.

               

               

                Consider this:

               

You are leasing a property from ABC Realty, but you don’t deal with the owner of ABC Realty, you deal with Bobby, a property manager. Bobby has the power to act on behalf of the Corporation to buy sell and lease properties. He also has the power to collect fees, such as rent; he also has the power to approve payments for insurance, utilizes, and fees for maintenance. Bobby doesn’t own the property, so he has no automatic authority to do any of this; he can’t just take it upon himself to start managing someone else’s property. (That would be like Average Joe walking into the local department store, then ordering products to stock the shelves and signing off on checks to pay vendors.)

Bobby had to be GIVEN PERMISSION by ABC Realty to act as representative, and to carry out actions in the name of ABC Realty.

If Bobby has to evict a tenant, he calls upon the authority of ABC Realty (entity that ACTUALLY HOLDS THE POWER over the property) in order to be able to legally evict the tenant.

Bobby acts ‘in the name of’ (under the authority of) ABC Realty.

Believers engaged in spiritual warfare ‘act in name of’ (under the authority of) Jesus Christ, because Jesus has given the Believer PERMISSION (authority) to do so.

SUMMARY:

1.       satan and his workers can be compared to ‘spiritual bullies’

2.       Believers DO NOT have to tolerate demonic strong-arming

3.       Jesus has delegated authority to Believers: He has given them both power to defeat demons and permission to exercise that power

4.       Jesus is the source and maintaining force of Believers’ power and authority over the enemy; the Believer is the vessel into which this power and authority has been placed.

5.       The Believer is empowered to gain DEFINITIVE VICTORY over the enemy

Toy Drive

Havillah Christian Center is kicking of its First Annual Toy Drive!

Christmas is right around the corner! Won't you help to make it a merry occasion for the children of Dallas?

We are seeking your assistance in bringing the Christmas spirit to the less fortunate! Your donated toys, clothing and books will be delivered to children. Donating or contributing is easy and it will bring great joy to you and your family!

Please help out with toys and Bibles for the toy drive.

We would like to make this Christmas good for those whose parents will not be able to provide gifts this year. We will try to provide 3 new toys per child ($15 – $30 value).

Please purchase a $15 – $30 gift appropriate for a child (ages 0-16) and drop the unwrapped gift off at the following location by Sunday, December 9th:

Havillah Christian Center, Office

3076 Spruce Valley Lane, Apt #2093

Dallas, TX 75233

We are looking for sponsorships, donations, and places to put stocking boxes and over-flow donations.

Contact Info:

Phone: 214-377-8250

Email: hcci.church@gmail.com

Facebook: Havillah Christian Center

***IMPORTANT NOTICE***

PLEASE CALL IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO APPLY

FOR CHRISTMAS HELP. 

PLEASE DO NOT "DROP BY" WITHOUT AN APPOINTMENT

PHONE CALLS FOR ASSISTANCE ARE ACCEPTED

TUESDAY, AND THURSDAY 5PM - 7PM

BEGINNING TUESDAY NOVEMBER 6TH

ENDING THURSDAY NOVEMBER 22ND

NO CALLS ACCEPTED ON THANKSGIVING DAY

Guidelines

Toys Must:

· Be brand new and unwrapped

· No toy guns, knives, bow/arrows, etc

Toy Suggestions:

· Board Games

· Sporting Goods

· Toy Car/Plane/Boat

· Dolls

· Coloring Books

· Hand-held video games or small electronic games

· Bicycles

Books:

· Bibles

· Educational

Clothing:

· Boys and Girls

· Birth to 12 years old

Infant-2 years

· Elmo

· Sesame Street Character items

· Dora & Diego Items

· Interactive musical/light-up toys

· Pooh and Tigger toys

· Playskool Busy Ball Bopper

· Push & pull toys

· Riding toys

· Educational toys

· Little People toys

· Walkers, swings, playpens, etc

· Rattles

Preschool Girls (2-4 years)

· Character items (Dora, Diego, Princesses)

· Little People & Accessories

· Leapfrog/V-tech educational toys

· Dress-up/imaginary play toys

· Fur Real Friends

· Baby-Alive

· Dolls

Preschool Boys (2-4 years)

· Diego toys

· Handy Manny toys

· Thomas the Tank Engine

· Little People & accessories

· Leapfrog/Vtech educational toys

· Bob the Builder toys

· Mega Blocks

· Trains, trucks, cars

5-7 year old GIRLS

· My Little Pony & accessories

· Littlest Pet Shop

· Scooter/skates & helmet

· Barbie, Disney Princesses, Polly Pocket dolls

· Jewelry and bead craft kits

· Board games

5-7 year old BOYS

· Action figures

· Remote control cars

· Remote control helicopters

· Basketballs

· Lego sets

· Skateboards/scooters with helmet

· Board games

8-12 year old GIRLS

· Pocketbooks and bags

· Bath & body lotions & soaps

· MP3 players

· Craft kits

· DVD’s

· Jewelry

· Games

· Skateboards & helmets

· CD’s

· Digital camera

· Watch

8-12 year old BOYS

· TV plug-in video games

· Remote control cars

· Lego sets

· Skateboards & scooters with helmet

· Board games

· Footballs, basketballs

· Watch

· MP3 players

· DVDs

· TV plug-in video games

· Games

· Footballs, basketballs

· CD’s

· Digital Camera

Policy:

· Donated toys will not be returned to the donor under any condition

· Donor waives the right to direct the donated toy(s) to a particular recipient

Disclaimer:

· In case the number of toys collected exceeds the number of recipients, extra toys will be reserved for future distribution events at the discretion of Havillah Christian Center.

Nasir Siddiki - Left to Die

By age 34, Nasir Siddiki, a successful businessman, had made his first million, but money meant nothing to him on his deathbed. Diagnosed with the worst case of shingles ever admitted to Toronto General Hospital , his immune system shut down and doctors left him to die.

The next morning I woke in a sterile room on the eighth floor of the hospital, my skin burning as t
hough someone had doused me in gasoline and lit a match. I felt on fire from the inside out.

My doctor arrived and looked at me in wonder. “The blisters are multiplying so fast I can literally watch them grow,” he said. ‘”Your body isn’t fighting back.”

The next morning, in addition to shingles, I had chicken pox from head to toe. I was put in strict isolation. That evening my temperature soared to 107.6 degrees — hot enough to leave my brain permanently scrambled.

For days I continued to deteriorate. My nerve endings became so inflamed that a hair drifting across my skin sent shock waves of fire rippling through my body. By week’s end, I was listed in critical condition.

My Last Hope

In life, I’d been bold, self confident, a risk taker. But facing death, I was terrified. I had no idea what might await me on the other side. I’d been raised as a Moslem in London , England , and I understood Allah was not a god who heals.

My only hope was in medicine.

I eventually slipped so close to death that the doctors didn’t know I could hear them when they examined me. “His immune system has simply shut down,” one of them said.

“He’s dying,” the other confirmed. “His immune system must be compromised by AIDS.”

I don’t have AIDS! I wanted to shout, but I couldn’t form the words. Then it hit me. He said I’m dying!

The doctors spoke quietly to my co-worker, Anita. “In a few hours he’ll be dead,” they said. “If by some miracle he lives, he’ll probably be blind in his right eye, deaf in his right ear, paralyzed on his right side and he may be severely brain damaged from the high fever.”

Then they left.

They left me here to die! I felt like a drowning man going down for the third time. Gathering my strength I whispered a prayer. “God, if you’re real, don’t let me die!”

In His Presence

During the darkest hour of the night, I woke and saw a man at the foot of my bed. Rays of light emanated from him, allowing me to see his outline. I couldn’t see his face, it was too bright. No one had to tell me, I knew it was Jesus.

The Koran mentions Jesus; Moslems believe He existed, not as the son of God, but as a good man and a prophet. I knew this wasn’t Mohammed. I knew it wasn’t Allah. Jesus was in my room. There was no fear, only peace.

“Why would You come to a Moslem when everyone else has left me to die?” I wondered.

Without words, he spoke to me. “I Am the God of the Christians. I Am the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.”

That’s all He said. He didn’t mention my illness. He didn’t mention my impending death. As suddenly as He appeared, He was gone.

The next morning, the same two doctors arrived to examine me. “The blisters have stopped growing!”

“We don’t know what happened, but the shingles virus has gone into remission!”

The following day, still in pain and covered with blisters, I was discharged from the hospital with a suitcase full of drugs. “Don’t leave home,” the doctor cautioned. “It will be months before the blisters go away, and when they do you’ll be left with white patches of skin and scars. The pain could last for years.”

Stepping outside into the morning sun, I looked like a cross between a leper and the Elephant Man. When people saw me, they crossed to the other side of the street. However, my mind was not on my looks; my thoughts were on Jesus. There was no doubt in my mind that Jesus’ presence in my room had stopped the shingles virus. Whatever else Jesus may be, I realized that in His presence miracles happened.

That fact left me with one consuming question: Is Jesus the Son of God as the Christians claim, or is He just a prophet as I was taught?

At home that evening, in spite of the drugs, the pain and itching was so severe I almost had to tie my hands. Even so, I fell into a restless sleep wondering about Jesus.

Learning to Live

The next morning, I woke early and turned on the television. Flipping through the channels, I froze when I saw the following words across the screen: Is Jesus the Son of God?

I listened intently as two men spent the entire program discussing this topic — answering all of my questions. Before the show went off the air, one of the men led the television audience in a prayer. My body was aflame with pain but I knelt on my living room floor anyway. Tears streaming down my face, I repeated the prayer and invited Jesus into my heart.

Immediately a voracious spiritual hunger sprang up within me. I had to know more about Jesus. In spite of my doctor’s orders to stay inside, the next day I went out and bought a Bible. First I read the books of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. Still ravenous, I started in Genesis and read through the Bible during my sleepless nights.

Meanwhile, Anita brought me books and teaching tapes explaining the Gospel. I devoured them while continuing to study the Word of God. As my understanding of faith began to grow, I dug out a picture of how I looked before shingles. I prayed and asked God to make me look that way again.

Nasir and Anita Siddiki - Jesus, My Healer

One week after my discharge from the hospital, I woke and found my pillow covered in blisters. I must have clawed them in my sleep, I thought. I crawled out of bed and stepped into the shower. What had started on my pillow was finished in the shower: Every blister fell off my body!

Instead of being covered with patches of white and scar tissue, my skin was simply red and raw. It slowly healed, returning to its pre-shingles condition. When it did, I not only looked human, I looked like I did before I got sick, except for the scars that I still carry on my chest.

None of the doctor’s dire predictions came true. My eyesight was 20/20. My hearing was normal. My speech was unimpaired. I suffered no brain damage.

My healing was miraculous, swift and complete. I never suffered from lingering pain or any other complication. Not only did I have the worst case of shingles ever admitted to Toronto General Hospital , I also had the most miraculous recovery.

Jesus, the God of the Christians, showed up in the hospital room of a dying Moslem and healed me. But that wasn’t the greatest miracle He performed. The transformation that occurred in my heart was even more dramatic than the one that occurred in my body.

An international teacher and evangelist, Dr. Nasir Siddiki is the founder of Wisdom Ministries. He lives in Tulsa , OK with his wife Anita and their two sons.

As Jesus Did...

Matthew 14:14-21

14 And Jesus went forth, and saw a great multitude, and was moved with compassion toward them, and he healed their sick.

15 And when it was evening, his disciples came to him, saying, This is a desert place, and the time is now past; send the multitude away, that they may go into the villages, and buy themselves victuals.

16 But Jesus said unto them, They need not depart; give ye them to eat.

17 And they say unto him, We have here but five loaves, and two fishes.

18 He said, Bring them hither to me.

19 And he commanded the multitude to sit down on the grass, and took the five loaves, and the two fishes, and looking up to heaven, he blessed, and brake, and gave the loaves to his disciples, and the disciples to the multitude.

20 And they did all eat, and were filled: and they took up of the fragments that remained twelve baskets full.

21 And they that had eaten were about five thousand men, beside women and children.

Not everyone who followed Jesus did so because the loved or believed Him; nor because they believed IN Him or were in favor of His ministry. Yet, when He saw that the followers were hungry, and needed to be fed, He made no distinction between those who followed with pure intentions, and those who followed for evil purposes.

He said "They don't have to leave, provide them with what they need."

Not everyone in your life has your best intentions in mind. However, don't be so quick to return evil for evil. There are time when you are called to show kindness and compassion even to your enemy.