CEO Ian Worby introduces our 12 ‘giants’

Dear valued friends and readers,

This year as we plan to establish another 100+ radio services Australia-wide, we are inspired to tackle twelve Spiritual ‘giants’ that attempt to keep us from possessing the land.

We read in the Word that giants and spiritual entities intimidated the children of God and kept them from entering into and possessing that which the Lord had promised them (see Num 13 & 14).

Like Joshua and Caleb, we hope to bring you a positive report to encourage you to rise up against these ‘giants’, declaring that we are able to posses the land which the Lord has promised.

One reason we often believe negative reports is that we lack understanding of who God is and what His plan is for our lives. Hosea 4:6 says ‘my people are destroyed from lack of knowledge’.

Our aim for each month this year is to focus on a specific ‘giant’, raising awareness and prayerful and biblical discussion on the nature and characteristics surrounding each one.

Just as David took five smooth stones to conquer Goliath and prepare for possible attack from his four giant brothers, so have we committed to supply five focus points toward which we can concentrate our military attention.

We are encouraged that already many of you have joined our team as Prayer Watchmen (contact 1800 00 777 0 for information). Your prayers will make up a key part of our attack strategy: the battle is the Lord’s and we overcome the enemy by the blood of the Lamb and the word of our testimony.

Our prayer for you is that this year you will have victory over the ‘giants’ in your life and that you will enjoy the inheritance the Lord has promised you in His Word.

In the strong and mighty Name of Jesus,

 

Ian Worby
Chief Executive Officer
UCB Australia

 

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12 ‘giants’ introduction : Bringing down the giants
UCB Australia outlines a new battle strategy to
combat 12 problem areas in Australian society

‘What’s the matter?’

Ever had a mum, a doctor or a friend ask you these probing words? They know something is wrong by your behaviour or outward appearance but they’re not too sure what is going on.

Sometimes we have to ask questions to find out the root cause of a problem. As we look at our lives, the health of our family or the state of the nation we have to ask ‘What’s the matter?’

UCB Australia exists to bring the Good News of the Gospel into every situation by radio, print and the internet. Now we are asking ‘What’s the matter?’ so that together with your involvement we can concentrate our resources to bring about positive change in our community. When we truly understand the power of the Gospel, we can apply it through prayer and the Word of God, but to do so we first need to see the target.

One of the great stories of the Bible is that of David and Goliath: a shepherd boy up against a giant of a professional soldier. The understanding that this boy, the youngest of a family chosen from the ‘outback’ of his nation could lead his people, should stir hope and passion in each of us. David was never perfect but the Bible records that he was a ‘man after God’s own heart’. He kept ‘short accounts’ with the Lord, communed with him in song through the joy, repentance and sometimes heartbreak of life and stood up to the Lord’s enemies including Goliath and the four giants of Gath (believed to be Goliath’s brothers) mentioned in 2nd Samuel.

In 2007, we aim to target some of the ‘giants’ that challenge our nation. God said he has plans for us that are for good and not for evil, but often we see the ‘giants’ and are afraid to step up and step in to His promises. After seeking the Lord for His direction for this year, we believe that we need to pray into these key areas to bring release from these ‘giants’ and discover what God has provided as a better alternative.

Each month through 2007, we will look at a ‘giant’ and ask for your prayerful support to bring down this problem that raises itself up against the Name of God.

It is believed that one of the reasons that David went up against Goliath with five stones was that he was prepared for the future fights he would have against the four giants of Gath. In the same way we will be looking at five areas of each month’s issue to allow us to pray specifically in battle into these areas:

JANUARY ‘Decaying Nationhood’	JULY ‘Distorted Media’
FEBRUARY ‘Pride’	AUGUST ‘Sexual Immorality’
MARCH ‘Fear’	SEPTEMBER ‘Spiritual Blindness’
APRIL ‘Physical imbalance’	OCTOBER ‘Idols’
MAY ‘Apathy’	NOVEMBER ‘Bondage’
JUNE ‘Relationship breakdown’	DECEMBER ‘Materialism’

If we read the account of David’s battle in 1st Samuel 17, we can see some keys to the strategy that allowed David to overcome Goliath. Like many of us when we face a new test, David was challenged by both his brothers and Goliath as to why he was at the scene of the battle. David said he came in the Name of the Lord and had the confidence to declare that God would hand over Goliath and the entire Philistine army. One of the first rules of warfare we learn is Declaration. David declared who he was, in whose Name he came and what he wanted to achieve. Isn’t that a great way to start our prayer?

Next, David proved his dependence on God by his actions: the Preparation. We need to know God’s strategy for this battle. David found out all too often that you can’t just ‘do what we did last time’. It’s important to make sure we ask God how to bring down the enemy. Some translations say that David went into the stream to pick up the five smooth stones. This give us a picture of cleansing before the battle. The story then reads that David already had his sling and his pouch, so he was prepared. When David turned down the worldly wisdom of Saul’s armour, he placed himself fully in the Hand of God. When David faced Goliath he didn’t do it in his own strength; he was fully committed that he was an instrument of the Lord and in doing that he had success. This test of Commitment is often where many back out. To protect ourselves, we might bring to mind verses like Proverbs 16:3: ‘Commit to the Lord whatever you do and your plans will succeed’ and ask God to rubber stamp our plans. The real test is in constantly giving the success or failure back to the Lord, as Jesus said ‘not my will but yours be done’ (Luke 22).

Finally, we need to be sure we follow through to the end. In 1st Samuel 17:48-57, we read how David slung the stone that killed Goliath. The Bible says Goliath fell to the ground dead. But David still continued to go forward, take Goliath’s sword and cut off his head. In doing so there was finality to the battle. When the Philistines saw their champion was down, they panicked and ran. The Israelites saw the enemy was done for and surged forth in triumph. The battle was won and praise was heard across the battlefield.

Join us this year as we seek to bring focus to our prayer, our actions and our commitment to the Lord. We start 2007 looking at an area that would have made the founding fathers of our nation cry tears of anguish, as we allow ourselves to become politically correct and potentially lose sight of the national identity of being Australian. Of equal concern in the cry for a nation is to examine the moral foundations of our government and community and ask what can be done. Prayer for our leaders at every level of government must be our first response.

1st Timothy 2:1-3 in the Contemporary English Version says ‘First of all, I ask you to pray for everyone. Ask God to help and bless them all, and tell God how thankful you are for each of them. Pray for kings and others in power, so that we may live quiet and peaceful lives as we worship and honour God. This kind of prayer is good, and it pleases God our Saviour. God wants everyone to be saved and to know the whole truth, which is: there is only one God, and Christ Jesus is the only one who can bring us to God.’

With the drought impacting our nation, we cry out to God and are reminded of God’s part in 2nd Chronicles 7:14 that says ‘then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and will heal their land’. But we have left out our part which says ‘shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways’.

Watch for prayer points and ideas in The Word for Today and UCB Today and listen to Vision Radio Network for ‘giant killing strategies’. Join us in the battle to see these ‘giants’ brought down! We serve a faithful God and it is His desire to bring us and our family into fullness of living, the spirit and righteousness.