Program 181: Asymmetrical warfare & the power of praise

Praise is a powerful tool in the warfare against the devil. It wins consistent victories.

Welcome to WLC Radio, a subsidiary of World’s Last Chance Ministries, an online ministry dedicated to learning how to live in constant readiness for the Savior's return.

For two thousand years, believers of every generation have longed to be the last generation. Contrary to popular belief, though, Christ did not give believers “signs of the times” to watch for. Instead, he repeatedly warned that his coming would take even the faithful by surprise. Yahushua urgently warned believers to be ready because, he said, “The Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.” [Matthew 24:44]

WLC Radio: Teaching minds and preparing hearts for Christ's sudden return.

* * *Part 1: Praise!

Miles Robey: Christians are often likened to soldiers in Christ’s army. While the war has already been won, there are still battles to be fought and these battles need specialized weapons.

Hello, I’m Miles Robey and today Dave Wright will be sharing with us some breaking news about a very powerful weapon of spiritual warfare you can use in any situation, under any temptation, that will always bring you the victory. The weapon? Praise!

Later, Dave’s going to be answering a question from our daily mailbag about parenting. How do you help your growing children to safely navigate the teenage years so that they will remain faithful to the values with which you’ve raised them? If you’re a parent or guardian of a young person, you’re going to want to listen to what he has to say. He’s got some very practical advice. And then, rounding out today’s program, Elise O’Brien will share another true story illustrating a powerful promise we can claim.

Dave? So tell us about praise as a weapon of spiritual warfare. I haven’t seen you this thrilled about a new discovery for some time.

Dave Wright: I am excited, Miles. In fact, I’m totally chuffed. Praise is an element that’s part of the Christian’s life, but we’ve never seen what a powerful spiritual weapon it can be to actively engage in praising Yahuwah!

Miles: Praise as a weapon?

Dave: And a very powerful one, even more so because it’s so unexpected.

Turn in your Bible to Ephesians chapter 6. This is the passage that talks about putting on the whole armor of Yah. You know, putting on the breastplate of righteousness, taking the shield of faith, and arming yourself with the sword of truth, which is Yahuwah’s word. That’s all in Ephesians 6. But there’s another verse here right in the midst of all that which is very significant. Ephesians 6 verse 12. Go ahead and read that for us.

Miles: “For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.”

Dave: Spiritual warfare is a different sort of warfare requiring different sorts of weapons. In a way, you could say that to win a spiritual war, you need to fight using asymmetrical warfare. Are you familiar with the term?

Miles: Yeah, doesn’t it refer to warfare that is fought in non-traditional ways? Like, for example, during the Cold War, the United States and the Soviet Union were constantly trying to come up with new ways to spy on each other. My favorite was Operation Acoustic Kitty. Have you heard of it?

Dave: Uhhh, no. What was it?

Miles: Well … someone at the CIA had the “brilliant” idea of turning cats into spies! See, they figured if they surgically implanted a microphone inside the ear canal with a transmitter and antenna under the skin, the naturally inquisitive nature of the cats would let them get close to their targets and pick up all sorts of valuable information.

Dave: Because we all know what biddable, submissive creatures cats are, so eager to always do what their humans want!

Miles: Right?

Dave: So what happened?

Miles: Well, after spending millions of dollars on this project and getting the cat ready, some American agents drove it to … I’m not sure, actually. Some sources say a park; others say an embassy. Anyway, they released the oh-so-biddable-feline to go eavesdrop. After looking around, it scampered into the street where it was promptly squashed by a taxi!

Dave: Oh, no! The poor kitty! That’s awful. Hilarious, but awful.

I don’t know that I’d call that asymmetrical warfare, though. That’s more spy craft. Asymmetrical warfare has to do with unconventional ways to fight wars. The idea first gained a lot of attention in back in 1999 when two high-ranking colonels in China’s People’s Liberation Army published a study called Unrestricted Warfare: China's Master Plan to Destroy America.

Basically, what had happened, as you’ll recall, was that back in 1990, Iraq invaded Kuwait. On January 17, 1991, the United States led a coalition of 35 countries in an armed response against the Iraqi invasion. The war came to a quick end just 42 days later on February 28, 1991.

The victory was obtained so quickly and was such an overwhelmingly resounding victory, that it sent shock waves around the world. The question was, how can you defeat an enemy that has such overwhelming fire power at their disposal? How can you gain the victory when there is such a discrepancy in power?

Miles: I can see how that would be a concern. The US was the world’s only remaining superpower so that, along with being able to unite dozens of other countries to join with them, you can see how even allies might be concerned.

Dave: Sure!

Well, the answer these two Chinese military strategists came up with was … asymmetrical warfare. You don’t meet on the field of battle. Why would you, when you know that traditional means of warfare would only end in your defeat? So, instead, you battle using unexpected means. Your battlefield is the stock market. It’s hackers, hacking into your enemies’ power grids and shutting them down. It’s the use of the media, including social media. It’s uploading viruses to government websites. All of these are asymmetrical forms of warfare by which a David can bring down a Goliath.

Miles: That’s brilliant. Diabolical, but brilliant.

Dave: Absolutely. Now, while the war between Yahuwah and Lucifer has been won, there are still on-going battles, and these battles are only intensifying the closer we get to Yahushua’s return. Believers need new and better weapons to combat the devil’s new-and-improved methods of assault.

I believe the act of praise is one of the strongest, most unexpected methods of warfare believers can use in battling the enemy. I want to start with a passage from Scripture that shows this in action. It’s a fascinating story and one we don’t talk about a lot, but it has incredible lessons for believers. Turn to 2 Chronicles chapter 20.

This story comes from the reign of good King Jehoshaphat. Not very many kings were faithful to Yahuwah, but Jehoshaphat was one of them.

Go ahead and start with verse 1 and we’ll talk about it as you go through.

Miles:

After this, the Moabites and Ammonites with some of the Meunites came to wage war against Jehoshaphat.

Some people came and told Jehoshaphat, “A vast army is coming against you from Edom, from the other side of the Dead Sea. It is already in Hazezon Tamar” (that is, En Gedi). Alarmed, Jehoshaphat resolved to inquire of Yahuwah, and he proclaimed a fast for all Judah. The people of Judah came together to seek help from Yahuwah; indeed, they came from every town in Judah to seek him. [2 Chronicles 20:1-4]

Dave: First, I want you to notice that the people didn’t just sit and wring their hands and wail. They were afraid. They had grounds to be! But they acted. Jehoshaphat called a fast and everyone came together to pray and seek Yahuwah for help.

Okay, go on. It’s going to quote Jehoshaphat’s prayer. As you read, notice how the things that Jehoshaphat says reminds the people of Yahuwah’s power. In recounting this in his prayer, it strengthens theirs and his own faith.

Miles:

Then Jehoshaphat stood up in the assembly of Judah and Jerusalem at the temple of Yahuwah in the front of the new courtyard and said:

“Yahuwah, the Elohim of our ancestors, are you not the Elohim who is in heaven? You rule over all the kingdoms of the nations. Power and might are in your hand, and no one can withstand you. Our Elohim, did you not drive out the inhabitants of this land before your people Israel and give it forever to the descendants of Abraham your friend? They have lived in it and have built in it a sanctuary for your Name, saying, ‘If calamity comes upon us, whether the sword of judgment, or plague or famine, we will stand in your presence before this temple that bears your Name and will cry out to you in our distress, and you will hear us and save us.’

“But now here are men from Ammon, Moab and Mount Seir, whose territory you would not allow Israel to invade when they came from Egypt; so they turned away from them and did not destroy them. See how they are repaying us by coming to drive us out of the possession you gave us as an inheritance. Our Elohim, will you not judge them? For we have no power to face this vast army that is attacking us. We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on you.”

All the men of Judah, with their wives and children and little ones, stood there before Yahuwah. [2 Chronicles 20:5-13]

Dave: First, notice that this wasn’t just Jehoshaphat and the priests. Everyone who could travel to Jerusalem did so, with their wives and children. The threat was very real and endangered everyone, so everyone gathered together to pray and ask Yahuwah’s intervention.

Secondly, notice that when Jehoshaphat is recounting Israel’s history, it is a form of praising Yahuwah. He’s saying, “Look what you’ve done in the past! You have the power to do it again!” That strengthened the faith of the people.

Okay. Keep going. Verse 14.

Miles:

Then the Spirit of Yahuwah came on Jahaziel son of Zechariah, the son of Benaiah, the son of Jeiel, the son of Mattaniah, a Levite and descendant of Asaph, as he stood in the assembly.

He said: “Listen, King Jehoshaphat and all who live in Judah and Jerusalem! This is what Yahuwah says to you: ‘Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army. For the battle is not yours, but Elohim’s. Tomorrow march down against them. They will be climbing up by the Pass of Ziz, and you will find them at the end of the gorge in the Desert of Jeruel. You will not have to fight this battle. Take up your positions; stand firm and see the deliverance Yahuwah will give you, Judah and Jerusalem. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Go out to face them tomorrow, and Yahuwah will be with you.’”

Jehoshaphat bowed down with his face to the ground, and all the people of Judah and Jerusalem fell down in worship before Yahuwah. Then some Levites from the Kohathites and Korahites stood up and praised Yahuwah, the Elohim of Israel, with a very loud voice. [2 Chronicles 20:14-19]

Dave: Notice their very first reaction to Jahaziel’s message was one of faith. They accepted the message and believed it by faith, and that strengthened them. Then they all praised Yahuwah. They gave thanks for the victory before they’d actually obtained the victory!

Go on. Verse, uh, 20.

Miles:

Early in the morning they left for the Desert of Tekoa. As they set out, Jehoshaphat stood and said, “Listen to me, Judah and people of Jerusalem! Have faith in Yahuwah your Elohim and you will be upheld; have faith in his prophets and you will be successful.” After consulting the people, Jehoshaphat appointed men to sing to Yahuwah and to praise him for the splendor of his holiness as they went out at the head of the army, saying:

“Give thanks to the Lord,
for his love endures forever.” [2 Chronicles 20:20-21]

Dave: Here Jehoshaphat is facing the climax of his reign. A huge force has invaded his kingdom and he’s going out to meet them in battle. But does he have his special forces, his elite, crack teams leading the way? No! Instead, at the head of his vastly outnumbered army, he stations . . . the church choir??

Miles: Talk about asymmetrical warfare! You’re in the fight of your life and you’re standing there singing hymns! That’s great. Wonder what the invading armies thought of it.

Dave: Well, they didn’t have very long to wonder about the Jewish king’s military strategy. Keep reading. Let’s see what happens next.

Miles: “As they began to sing and praise, Yahuwah set ambushes against the men of Ammon and Moab and Mount Seir who were invading Judah, and they were defeated. The Ammonites and Moabites rose up against the men from Mount Seir to destroy and annihilate them. After they finished slaughtering the men from Seir, they helped to destroy one another.” [2 Chronicles 20:22-23]

Dave: We don’t know what these “ambushes” were that Yahuwah set against Judah’s enemies, but it resulted in a complete and total victory for Judah. Keep going. Verse 24 through verse 30.

Miles:

When the men of Judah came to the place that overlooks the desert and looked toward the vast army, they saw only dead bodies lying on the ground; no one had escaped. So Jehoshaphat and his men went to carry off their plunder, and they found among them a great amount of equipment and clothing and also articles of value—more than they could take away. There was so much plunder that it took three days to collect it. On the fourth day they assembled in the Valley of Berakah, where they praised Yahuwah. This is why it is called the Valley of Berakah to this day.

Then, led by Jehoshaphat, all the men of Judah and Jerusalem returned joyfully to Jerusalem, for Yahuwah had given them cause to rejoice over their enemies. They entered Jerusalem and went to the temple of Yahuwah with harps and lyres and trumpets.

The fear of Elohim came on all the surrounding kingdoms when they heard how Yahuwah had fought against the enemies of Israel. And the kingdom of Jehoshaphat was at peace, for his Elohim had given him rest on every side.

Dave: Talk about a complete and total victory! They even swelled Judah’s coffers with all the weaponry, money, clothing and supplies left behind by the invading armies!

And this was made possible because, 1) King Jehoshaphat took the time to seek Yahuwah’s face, to learn the divine will. He didn’t panic and rush right into some action or other. He took the time to learn Yah’s will.

Secondly, when he learned Yahuwah’s will, he and all the people of Judah accepted that message by faith.

Miles: You can tell they accepted it because their very first reaction was to praise Yah!

Dave: Right! And then, lastly, they acted upon the direction received from Yahuwah.

Have you ever noticed that too often people wait for everything to be resolved to their satisfaction before stepping out—well, actually, that’s the point: they don’t step out in faith. They sit in place and, like a vehicle spinning its tires in the mud, they just sink deeper and deeper into the rut they’re already in. If we want to be led, we need to stand up and walk forward.

That’s what Jehoshaphat did when he directed the choir to go ahead of the army. He didn’t wait to see just how Yahuwah would deliver them. Instead, he acted on his faith. And they started singing praises to Yah before they actually saw or experienced Yah’s deliverance. That’s faith! And that’s asymmetrical warfare.

Miles: It’s the unexpected, isn’t it? You’d expect to celebrate and “party hearty” after winning, but Jehoshaphat and Judah celebrated beforehand! Their confidence was solely based on faith. It’s incredible.

Dave: But faith in the promises of Yah actually changes reality.

Turn to Hebrews 11. This is the famous “faith chapter” and it starts with a definition of faith. Just read verse 1.

Miles: “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.”

Dave: Faith is the … substance … of things hoped for. It’s the evidence of the reality behind the veil.

Another translation says, “Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.” Furthermore, Scripture tells us that faith is a gift. It’s not something we can conjure up in ourselves, but it’s a gift Yahuwah gives everyone. So, when you act on faith, when you rejoice and praise Yahuwah for help and answered prayer before you even see the answer to your prayer, you are, in a very real sense changing your reality because you are opening the door, clearing the way for Yahuwah to work in unobstructed ways.

Praising Yah, using praise as a weapon of warfare, also has an impact on our own minds.

Miles: All right. We have to take a quick break, but let’s talk about the impact praise has on our own minds when we return.

We’ll be right back.

* * *

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* * *Part 2: Praise!

Dave: Praise is an incredibly powerful weapon of spiritual warfare, but we don’t use it as we should, as it’s our privilege to do, because we haven’t seen it in that light.

Miles: What is it that makes praise such a powerful weapon in spiritual warfare? Is it, what, the power of positive thinking?

Dave: It’s more. Praise and faith are intrinsically linked. Faith is a gift from Yahuwah. When you praise Yahuwah, your faith is strengthened. It’s that simple.

Let’s look at the different ways praise reacts on our minds, and you’ll see what I mean.

Let’s start with Exodus 15. Now, this is the song of praise Moses and the Children of Israel sang after their deliverance at the Red Sea. You could argue that they’d already been delivered, but I want you to notice what this song of praise is saying about Yahuwah. Go ahead and start with verse 1.

Miles:

Then Moses and the Israelites sang this song to Yahuwah:

“I will sing to Yahuwah,
for He is highly exalted.
Both horse and driver
He has hurled into the sea.

“Yahuwah is my strength and my defense;
He has become my salvation.
He is my God, [my Elohim] and I will praise Him,
my father’s Elohim, and I will exalt Him.
Yahuwah is a warrior;
Yahuwah is His name.
Pharaoh’s chariots and his army
He has hurled into the sea.
The best of Pharaoh’s officers
are drowned in the Red Sea. [Exodus 15:1-4]

Dave: That’s good. Now, while this song of praise was sung after their deliverance from the Egyptian armies, they still had a long road ahead of them. They hadn’t yet arrived at the Promised Land nor had they yet conquered the Canaanites living there. So, singing praises was very important because, as we said, there’s a link between praise and faith, and if anyone needed their faith strengthened for what lay before them, it was the Children of Israel.

What I want you to notice about this song of praise, though, is how it so clearly communicates who Yahuwah is and what He’s done.

Who is He? What does it say?

Miles: Uhhh … It says He’s my strength and my defense. My salvation. Um, a warrior. My God, or Elohim.

Dave: And what’s He done?

Miles: Both horse and rider He hurled into the sea.

Dave: So, basically, delivered them from their enemies. When we praise Yahuwah, we are stating who He is and what He has done that is worthy of praise. This, in turn, strengthens our faith about what He can do.

Miles: That really is faith affirming, isn’t it? It’s like how, with the daily promises, Elise always shares a true story that illustrates the day’s promise. Because it shows us that what Yahuwah has done for others, He’s willing to do for us, too.

It’s why I like that gospel hymn so much, “It Is No Secret.” The chorus goes:

It is no secret what [Yah] can do,
What he has done for others,
He'll do for you.
With arms wide open,
He'll pardon you
It is no secret what [Yah] can do.

I’ve always liked that song because it’s true: what Yah has done for others, you can know He’ll do for you, too. And that’s faith affirming.

Dave: All praise is faith affirming. That’s why it is such a powerful spiritual weapon.

Praise also honors Yahuwah. Turn to Psalm 29 and read verses 1 and 2, and while you do that, I’m going to look up another passage. Psalm 29, verses 1 to 2. What’s that say?

Miles:

Ascribe to Yahuwah, you heavenly beings,
ascribe to Yahuwah glory and strength.
Ascribe to Yahuwah the glory due His name;
worship Yahuwah in the splendor of His holiness.

Dave: When we give praise and honor to Yahuwah, it clarifies in our own minds just who He is in relation to us. Again, that strengthens our faith. The next passage I want you to read is in Revelation 4.

Here, you can read it from my Bible. I looked it up for you.

This is where John is given a vision of the heavenly throne room and what he notices is that praise is constantly being offered to Yahuwah. Start at verse, uh, 6 and read through verse 11.

Miles:

Also in front of the throne there was what looked like a sea of glass, clear as crystal.

In the center, around the throne, were four living creatures, and they were covered with eyes, in front and in back. The first living creature was like a lion, the second was like an ox, the third had a face like a man, the fourth was like a flying eagle. Each of the four living creatures had six wings and was covered with eyes all around, even under its wings. Day and night they never stop saying:

“‘Holy, holy, holy

is Yahuwah [Elohim] Almighty,’

who was, and is, and is to come.”

Whenever the living creatures give glory, honor and thanks to him who sits on the throne and who lives for ever and ever, the twenty-four elders fall down before him who sits on the throne and worship him who lives for ever and ever. They lay their crowns before the throne and say:

“You are worthy, our Lord and [Elohim],
to receive glory and honor and power,
for you created all things,
and by your will they were created
and have their being.”

Dave: This is what’s going on continually in the heavenly throne room! Holy creatures, who have a better grasp on the high holiness of the Almighty than we do, are continually praising Him because praise honors Yahuwah.

Praise does more than that, though. In a very real sense, when we praise Yahuwah, our attention is focused entirely upon Him and, of course then, our faith is, too. That’s how faith is actively strengthened when we praise Yahuwah. Our attention is focused on His omnipotent power and infinite love.

Turn now to 2 Chronicles chapter 5. This is talking about the dedication of Solomon’s temple. Israel had gathered for the dedication and even though it was a very sacred event, it was also a very special, celebratory event. The ark of the covenant was brought into the temple! Of course it was exciting and something to celebrate! They had a full orchestra there and a large choir, all praising Yahuwah. Let’s read what His response to all that praise was: 2 Chronicles 5 verses 11 to 14.

This picks up the story just where the priests had carried the ark into the Most Holy Place. Now let’s read what happens as they came out. Go ahead.

Miles:

The priests then withdrew from the Holy Place. All the priests who were there had consecrated themselves, regardless of their divisions. All the Levites who were musicians—Asaph, Heman, Jeduthun and their sons and relatives—stood on the east side of the altar, dressed in fine linen and playing cymbals, harps and lyres. They were accompanied by 120 priests sounding trumpets. The trumpeters and musicians joined in unison to give praise and thanks to Yahuwah. Accompanied by trumpets, cymbals and other instruments, the singers raised their voices in praise to Yahuwah and sang:

“He is good;
his love endures forever.”

Then the temple of Yahuwah was filled with the cloud, and the priests could not perform their service because of the cloud, for the glory of Yahuwah filled the temple of Elohim.

Dave: You can know with a display like that, the attention of everyone was focused on Yahuwah and His might and power, not to mention His holiness.

Miles: Could you say that the act of praising Yah helps us know who He is?

Dave: Absolutely. Because when you’re praising Him, you’re identifying the different aspects of His character, as well as the loving deeds He has done, that reveal He is a God of love. Infinite purity, yes, but also infinite kindness and compassion.

Turn to Isaiah 43 and read verse 3 for us. This goes right along with what you just said about praise helping us know who Yahuwah is. Isaiah 43:3.

Miles: “For I am Yahuwah your Elohim, The Holy One of Israel, your Savior.”

Dave: Whenever I’m struggling with some issue in life, whenever I’m afraid or in danger, Psalm 34 is the passage of Scripture I turn to the most. It’s full of the most incredible, faith-inspiring promises. Assurances like, “I sought Yahuwah, and He heard me,
And delivered me from all my fears” or “The eyes of Yahuwah are on the righteous,
And His ears are open to their cry.” [Verses 4 and 15, respectively.]

But what’s really interesting is how this psalm opens. Would you please read the first three verses of Psalm 34 for us?

Miles:

I will extol Yahuwah at all times;
His praise will always be on my lips.
I will glory in Yahuwah;
let the afflicted hear and rejoice.
Glorify Yahuwah with me;
let us exalt His name together.

Dave: So, this incredibly beautiful, faith-inspiring psalm opens with a call to praise Yahuwah together. The reason is simple: praise, especially in the face of danger, breaks Satan’s oppressive power over us.

Let’s look at one very obvious example of this. Acts 16. Paul and Silas had been arrested and beaten and thrown into prison where, in addition to everything else, they were fastened in stocks. Read from verse 25. Let’s see what happened.

Miles:

About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to [Yahuwah], and the other prisoners were listening to them. Suddenly there was such a violent earthquake that the foundations of the prison were shaken. At once all the prison doors flew open, and everyone’s chains came loose. The jailer woke up, and when he saw the prison doors open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself because he thought the prisoners had escaped. But Paul shouted, “Don’t harm yourself! We are all here!”

The jailer called for lights, rushed in and fell trembling before Paul and Silas. He then brought them out and asked, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” [Acts 16:25-30]

Dave: So here are Paul and Silas. You know they had to be in a lot of pain from the beating they’d received, and yet they’re sitting there in the stocks, singing and praising Yah! And this is such an unusual response, the other prisoners there are watching and taking it all in. They were witnessing to them. That influence kept all the prisoners there so, even when they could have escaped, they didn’t, which led directly to the conversion of the jailer and his entire family. This is a very clear example of how praise breaks the power of Satan to oppress, and it works for everyone.

Miles: I’m sure they’d never seen anything like it!

Dave: Probably not. That’s why it made such a big impression. See, praise confuses the enemy. Read Psalm 8 verse 2 and let’s see what the effects of praise are. Psalm 8 verse 2.

Miles: “Through the praise of children and infants you have established a stronghold against your enemies, to silence the foe and the avenger.”

Dave: Praise in the face of trial, confuses and silences the enemy. Now flip over to Psalm 149 and read verses 5 to 9. This has a different angle on it.

Miles:

Let the saints be joyful in glory;
Let them sing aloud on their beds.
Let the high praises of Elohim be in their mouth,
And a two-edged sword in their hand,
To execute vengeance on the nations,
And punishments on the peoples;
To bind their kings with chains,
And their nobles with fetters of iron;
To execute on them the written judgment—
This honor have all His saints.

Praise Yahuwah!

Dave: Praise is an incredible spiritual weapon and it’s time we start using it.

Miles: This reminds me of Philippians 4 which says: “Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice! … Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to [Yahuwah]; and the peace of [Elohim], which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Yahushua.” [Philippians 4:4, 6-7]

Dave: When we rejoice and praise, peace fills our hearts. We’re focused on the might of our heavenly Father, rather than on our troubles. This is why Scripture repeatedly admonishes us to praise.

1 Thessalonians 5 says, “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of [Yahuwah] in Christ Yahushua for you.” [1 Thessalonians 5:16-18]

Miles: I remember a story from one of our earlier programs. I don’t remember whether you told it or it was in a Daily Promise but it was about this man who spent several years in a Japanese internment camp during World War II. He was assigned to the camp kitchen, washing dishes after every meal. Instead of griping and whinging about having to do that all day every day, he saw it as a blessing. The left-over food on the pots, he would burn to a crisp, turning it to charcoal which he could then use for treating dysentery. He was able to save quite a number of lives that way. And if he’d been complaining, he wouldn’t have seen the opportunity.

Dave: Whinging focuses our attention on the negative, while praising helps us see possibilities. I think that’s why Scripture repeatedly tells us to praise and it’s often linked to prayer as well.

Psalm 150 verse 6 says, “Let every thing that hath breath praise Yahuwah. Praise ye Yahuwah.”

The New Testament admonishes us to praise Yahuwah, too. Turn to Ephesians 5 and read verses 18 to 20.

Miles: Ummm …It says, “Be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another with psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit. Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to [Yah] the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord [Yahushua] Christ. [Ephesians 5:18b-20]

Dave: There are so many, many verses that tell us to praise Yahuwah. We only have time to just barely scratch the surface, but with the amount we’re repeatedly told to praise Him, you’d think we would have clued in by now that this is a rather important thing for believers to be doing.

And it is. Praising Yahuwah declares before the onlooking universe your faith in His love and power to save. That faith, acted upon in praise, will have its own impact, delivering you from the snares of the enemy. And that’s something we’re going to need even more in the days ahead.

So, start praising! Make it a habit to rejoice and give thanks in everything. And as you do this, your faith will be strengthened, and you will be victorious in spiritual warfare.

Miles: Amen!

Don’t go away folks. Up next is our Daily Mailbag with some very practical information on how you can get your kids safely through the teen years. Stay tuned.

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You are listening to World's Last Chance Radio.

WLC Radio: Teaching minds and preparing hearts for Christ's sudden return.

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Just because you believe something to be true does not actually make it true. A lot of very sincere Christians believe that the Jews, being Yahuwah’s special people, have light for believers today. They look to them for ideas on how to live and how to worship. They adopt many of the Jewish practices. There’s even a name for believers who adopt Jewish traditions while still believing in Yahushua as the Saviour and that is “Messianic Jews.”

While this term, of course, refers to descendants of Abraham who accept Yahushua as the Messiah, it is also applied to Christian gentiles who embrace Jewish practices and traditions. Certainly, Scripture contains prophecies about the Jews and some of these prophecies have yet to be fulfilled. However, modern Jewish traditions do not hold any light for believers today. The Jews rejected Yahuwah thousands of years ago when they asked for a king to rule over them. Furthermore, the traditions followed by modern Jews are drawn from the practices of the Pharisees—the very ones whose stringent “standards” Yahushua repeatedly denounced!

Don’t be deceived into thinking the Jews have light. They don’t. Instead, they need the light you have! Look for the radio program entitled “The Messianic Jewish Lie.” [Program 79] That’s “The Messianic Jewish Lie” on WorldsLastChance.com. You can also find it in a variety of languages on YouTube!

* * *Daily Mailbag

Miles: Today’s question is coming from the country that holds a very unique place in the Guiness Book of World Records. One of its presidents—there’s a hint for you; it has a president—holds the world’s record for having survived the most assassination attempts.

Dave: Seriously! Wow. Well, I suppose, given the choice, I’d rather have survived the attempts than succumbed, but that’s a rather dubious honor. Where is it?

Miles: Aren’t you going to guess?

Dave: And give you a chance to make that obnoxious [beeeeeep!] sound? No thanks!

Miles: Fair enough. Well, the answer is France. Former president, Charles de Gaulle got his name in the Guiness Book of World Records for having survived the most assassination attempts of anyone in the entire world.

Dave: Wow. You know, France has some pretty smart people. They’ve given the world hot air balloons, parachutes, hair dryers, great food—

Miles: Camouflage.

Dave: Really?

Miles: Yep! 1915. First army to use camouflage.

Dave: Interesting.

Miles: Anyway. We’ve got a question I think a lot of parents will be able to relate to. Katriane and Matis from Niort, France write, “Our son turns 13 soon. We’ve done our best, with Yahuwah’s help, to raise him right, to love and honor Yah. Our concern, though, is that even in homes where parents do their best to raise a child to love and honor Yahuwah, the youth will often turn their backs on the parents’ beliefs. Our son has never rebelled—yet—but is there anything we should be aware of, anything we should do or avoid doing so that he will continue to choose to be a Christian and live up to all the truths we’ve tried to instill?”

Dave: That’s a question every parent can relate to. You do your best to raise your child for Yahuwah, but there are no guarantees. In fact, often when a young person will rebel against their upbringing, the parents’ heartache is made worse by how outsiders will stand back and judge, blaming the parents for the kid’s choices.

Miles: Oh, yeah. I’ve run into that attitude: What was going on behind closed doors in their home? What double standards, what hypocrisy was lurking behind the godly exterior? People can be really cruel.

Dave: Certainly sometimes parents can turn their children off of religion by presenting a double standard. Kids are very quick to pick up on hypocrisy.

But not always. The thing to remember is that Yahuwah will never force the human will. We can’t, either. We love our children and we want to see them saved, but ultimately it comes down to the personal choice of the individual.

Look at Lucifer. It could be argued that he had the perfect upbringing. I’m not sure that angels were ever children, but for the sake of argument, you get my point. Lucifer’s background could not have been more conducive to producing a perfect being. And yet he became the first rebel.

Miles: That’s a good point. And you’re right: if Yahuwah can’t force the free will, we can’t, either.

Dave: Now, I know in certain cultures whatever the parents say, goes. You don’t argue with the older generation. If they decree something, it’s so.

But Matiz and Katriane’s question isn’t about forcing outward compliance. It’s about the heart. Even if they lived in a culture where the younger generation was always expected to go along with the older generation’s decrees—and that’s not France, but even if it were—they’re wanting to get at the heart of the matter: “What can we do, or avoid doing, as parents to guide our youth through the teen years to help increase the chances of our children choosing to remain faithful to Yah?”

Miles: Well, even for those who live in cultures where the parents’ decrees and decisions are never questioned openly, it doesn’t mean the adult children’s hearts are compliant. They may be going along just because they have to, because it’s expected of them. But outward compliance doesn’t prove inner acquiescence.

Dave: No, it really doesn’t. So, it’s important to realize that you have to bring your child’s heart and understanding along with you for any requirement you make. We’ll talk about that more in a moment but first, the thing you need to keep in mind with youth is that, once they hit the teen years, your best opportunities to train them are now past.

Miles: At just 13?!

Dave: Absolutely. Your best time to instill character qualities that align with Yahuwah’s standards are during early childhood. By the time you get to the teen years, the child’s character is pretty well already set.

What’s more, the teen years, going through puberty, it’s natural at that time to want more independence. And if it’s not handled with wisdom, you’re going to get a teenager that rebels; sometimes, just to rebel. And you don’t want that. But if you have neglected the early years and all of a sudden come down hard and heavy on your teenager, yeah. You can expect a lot of push back.

Miles: Well, but, as you said, a lot of that is cultural. There’s not going to be a huge amount of push back in cultures where the older generation always gets to have their way.

Dave: This is even more important to understand in such cultures because, sure! You might get a surface compliance. But Yahuwah reads the heart. You want to do everything in your power to ensure your children make it into Yah’s kingdom, too? Heart work. Heart work is always where it’s at.

Miles: So, let me get this straight. Are you advocating parents step back and let their teens kind of sink or swim on their own?

Dave: No. At 13, 14, 15, your kids are still minors. They still need their parents, but it is natural, once a child goes through puberty, to want to experience more independence. Now, if your youth knows that you are in support of his desire for independence, her wanting to have more autonomy, then they’re less likely to rebel. If they can see you are supporting their efforts to grow up, not trying to hold them back, you’ll get less push back.

As parents of teenagers, our role is to guide. Offer advice where needed. If the early years have been spent laying a solid foundation, then when they hit the teen years, you can start giving your kids more and more independence. This gives them the opportunity, while still being under Mum and Dad’s protection, to make mistakes and learn from them.

Miles: There’s nothing like making a few mistakes to give you valuable life experience!

Dave: It’s going to happen. Your teen is going to make some poor choices, some miscalculations in judgment. How you react when this happens is going to go a long way in establishing their trust in Yahuwah.

Miles: How do you mean?

Dave: Well, if you react with anger, if you yell at them, or hit them, or belittle them for their mistake—“How could you be so stupid?!”—if you shame them, you are shaping their expectation of how Yahuwah will respond when they make a mistake or stumble into sin. If you get angry at their mistakes, they’ll assume their heavenly Father will, too. If you lash out in anger and humiliate them, you’ve created an environment of fear and when you’re afraid of someone, the last thing you want to do is spend time with them. And this translates over into how they’ll feel about Yah.

We’re great about telling young people that Yahuwah is a loving heavenly Father, but are we invalidating our own words by how we model loving fatherly behavior?

Miles: Ah! Yeah, I can see that.

Dave: My wife really helped me see this. When our son was about 16, he did something that was sooo monumentally stupid, so ill-advised, you just had to shake your head and go, “What was he thinking??”

Truth is, he wasn’t thinking.

Miles: I remember those unthinking teenage years!

Dave: We’ve all been there, haven’t we? Well, I was honestly quite angry. Fortunately, my wife was there and told me, “You were young once, too. We all make mistakes. How you react is going to teach him whether you are a safe person to come to when he’s made a mistake, or whether he’s going to hide it and lie about it to cover up his mistakes.”

Miles: Wise words. So what’d you do?

Dave: Well, I took a deep breath, bit my tongue, and didn’t blow up at him. And I’m glad I didn’t because my wife was right. When I thought about it, I realized that if I wanted to inspire my kids to have confidence in Yah as a loving Father, then I needed to model to them what I say He is: loving, kind, understanding, and “upbraideth not.”

Miles: That makes a lot of sense.

Dave: Now let’s talk about what you’re to do if something new comes up, you want to make some change that you’ve never done before. How do you do it without having an unhappy, rebellious teen on your hands? The answer is, bring their hearts and their understanding along with yours.

Now, if you’re listening to WLC Radio, chances are good that you’re a truth seeker. You make a habit of digging for more truth. And that’s good. That’s what we all need to do. But that also means, at times, laying aside old habits, practices, and beliefs. If you don’t handle it right with your kids, you’re going to get some very resentful kids that can’t wait to grow up and move out.

Miles: So, what are you supposed to do then? What’s the alternative?

Dave: Never take something away without replacing it with something better.

For example, our oldest was 13 when we learned about the Biblical feasts. Now up until that time, we’d always celebrated Christmas, but just as soon as we learned about the feasts of Yahuwah, well, it’s a given you’re not going to keep celebrating the pagan feasts. You’ll celebrate Yahuwah’s feasts instead!

Miles: Right. That’s a tough age, though, to take away Christmas. So, how’d you handle it?

Dave: Well, first of all, we shared with our kids the Biblical evidence for why Yahuwah’s feasts are still to be observed by His people. That’s bringing their minds, their understanding along with yours. Then, we talked about what was their favorite part of Christmas that they enjoyed the most.

Miles: What was it? Presents? The traditions?

Dave: Actually, it was being able to spend more time together as a family. So, knowing that, it allowed us to replace Christmas with something better, something that gave them even more of what they loved about Christmas, which was a lot more family time.

We decided to build a celebration around feast of tabernacles. It is a time of celebration and rejoicing in Yahuwah’s blessings, after all, so we focused on that. Sure, there are a few small presents, but we really spend a lot of time doing fun things together as a family. The kids found that they didn’t miss Christmas at all because they had so much more fun with the replacement that they didn’t miss the old. That’s how you bring their hearts along with you.

So. Give them the truth: bring their minds and understanding along with yours. And replace anything you take away with something better. That’s how you bring their hearts along with yours.

Miles: Great advice. Keep sending us your questions. Go to WorldsLastChance.com and just click on Contact Us.

* * *Daily Promise

Hello! This is Elise O’Brien with your daily promise from Yah’s Word.

Wherever you go, you will find each particular geography has its own set of what we call “natural disasters.” In the Rocky Mountains of North America, there are blizzards. In the Andes of South America, there are landslides, while the Alps in Europe have avalanches. Parts of Africa have droughts while, in India, they have to deal with monsoon rains and flooding.

On August 16, 2018, severe flooding devastated the state of Kerala in southern India. It was the worst flooding to hit Kerala in nearly a hundred years. Almost 500 people lost their lives, and approximately 800,000 people were displaced. It was a time of desperate need.

The Indian army stepped in to help and others, too, seeing the great need stepped forward without hesitation to help those impacted by the flooding. More than a hundred fishermen took their boats to the streets of the cities which were under water. Without expecting any compensation whatsoever, these men left their work and used their boats to rescue strangers stranded by the flood waters. T Peter, the General Secretary of the National Fishworkers’ Forum, told the Navbharat Times, quote: “Most fishermen who are engaged in the relief work have left their daily work to help out people. This isn’t a spontaneous one-time initiative; we are doing it with a consistent unity.” Unquote.

These were poor people themselves. The fish they catch each day to sell are for the support of their own families, but when they saw others in distress, they didn’t hesitate to provide aid.

Proverbs 11 teaches that Yahuwah has special blessings for those who seek to help others. Verses 24 and 25 state, quote:

One person gives freely, yet gains even more;
another withholds unduly, but comes to poverty.

A generous person will prosper;
whoever refreshes others will be refreshed.

It’s been said before and I’ll say it again: you can’t out-give Yahuwah. But we can have the privilege of being His hands on earth to bless others. And it doesn’t have to be cash. Maybe it’s some food to a family that’s out of work. Maybe it’s sharing your children’s out-grown clothes with a single mother that’s struggling to care for her children. Maybe it’s taking the time to listen to a friend who is sad and who just needs a sympathetic ear to listen. In all these ways and more, Yahuwah counts everything we do to help others as done to Himself.

Proverbs 11:30 says: “The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, and the one who is wise saves lives.”

We have been given great and precious promises. Go and start claiming!

* * *Part 3: Praise!

Miles: So earlier, you said that praise and faith are linked and that faith is a gift from Yahuwah. Could we talk about that just for a bit? I think a lot of people really struggle with faith. They don’t feel like they have it, you know what I mean?

Dave: I do, and it has to do with how people define faith. See, they get confused. They think that faith is some warm, fuzzy feeling, and if they don’t have that warm, fuzzy feeling, or they actually feel afraid, they assume that they lack faith.

They don’t, necessarily. They simply lack a clear understanding of what faith actually is. Grab your dictionary there and look up the word faith. What does it say?

Miles: Uhhh … faith … faith … faith. Here we go. It says: “Belief; the assent of the mind to the truth of what is declared by another, resting on his authority and veracity, without other evidence; the judgment that what another states or testifies is the truth.”

Dave: That’s all that faith is: the agreement of the mind that what someone else says is true, actually is true. And you know it to be true because you know and trust the person making the claim.

This is why a person can be afraid, or sad, or depressed, and still exercise strong faith. In fact, the very time that you’re upset or scared is the time to exercise faith; to take Yahuwah at His word and accept the promises. It’s that ability to take Yahuwah at His word that has been gifted to each one of us.

Let’s read it. Romans 12 verse 3.

Miles: “For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith [Yah] has distributed to each of you.”

Dave: Yahuwah has already given each of us a measure of faith. We all have enough faith to believe that, if we ask for more, we’ll be given it. Faith is not a lack of fear or a lack of sadness. Faith is what you exercise when you’re feeling fear and sadness. It’s what let’s you stand in front of an overwhelming force, an invading army, and sing songs of praise!

Turn back to Hebrews 11. Let’s take a look at that again. Remember, it starts out by saying that “faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.” When we have faith, when we take Yah at His word because we have confidence in Him, then we can praise Him in all circumstances and in every situation.

Our faith is tied to our ability to use praise as a weapon in the fight against Satan. And what does that kind of faith, that kind of active praise do for us?

Drop down to verse 32 and read through verse 38.

Miles:

And what more shall I say? I do not have time to tell about Gideon, Barak, Samson and Jephthah, about David and Samuel and the prophets, who through faith conquered kingdoms, administered justice, and gained what was promised; who shut the mouths of lions, quenched the fury of the flames, and escaped the edge of the sword; whose weakness was turned to strength; and who became powerful in battle and routed foreign armies. Women received back their dead, raised to life again. There were others who were tortured, refusing to be released so that they might gain an even better resurrection. Some faced jeers and flogging, and even chains and imprisonment. They were put to death by stoning; they were sawed in two; they were killed by the sword. They went about in sheepskins and goatskins, destitute, persecuted and mistreated—the world was not worthy of them. They wandered in deserts and mountains, living in caves and in holes in the ground. [Hebrews 11:32-38]

Dave: Praising Yahuwah, even when in danger, is an incredibly powerful tool because it strengthens our faith. 1 John 5:4 says, quote: “This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith.”

When, in the midst of danger, we take the time to look for and acknowledge Yahuwah’s blessings, and we praise Him for them, our faith grasps the promises, and this is what then brings us the victory in Yahushua.

Miles: That’s so beautiful! And it’s what will get us through the days ahead. Praise Yah!

We hope you’ll join us again tomorrow, and until then, remember: Yahuwah loves you . . . and He is safe to trust!

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This program and past episodes of WLC Radio are available for downloading on our website. They're great for sharing with friends and for use in Bible studies! They're also an excellent resource for those worshipping Yahuwah alone at home. To listen to previously aired programs, visit our website at WorldsLastChance.com. Click on the WLC Radio icon displayed on our homepage.

In his teachings and parables, the Savior gave no “signs of the times” to watch for. Instead, the thrust of his message was constant … vigilance. Join us again tomorrow for another truth-filled message as we explore various topics focused on the Savior's return and how to live in constant readiness to welcome him warmly when he comes.

WLC Radio: Teaching minds and preparing hearts for Christ's sudden return.