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ctivated
DO YOU FEED YOUR BODY BUT STARVE YOUR SOUL?
PATH OF
DESTRUCTION
A missionary family’s
encounter with mayhem
during the Indonesia riots
TEMPLE TIME
Solve your problems, clear
your mind, all in a few
moments
RACING TOWARD
THE MARK
Are we handing technology
the controls?
personally speaking
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Activated USA
P.O. Box 4307
Orange, CA 92863–4307 The world is speeding up—and it’s taking us with it! Former
USA generations never had to cope with the pressures we do.
activatedUSA@activated.org Job insecurity and competition in the marketplace have every-
(1–877) 862-3228 (toll-free)
one from factory workers to CEOs under pressure to produce.
Activated Europe More and more people must hold down several jobs just to
Bramingham Pk. Business Ctr. make ends meet—and the pressure doesn’t stop when the workday
Enterprise Way ends. Commuters spend hours in nerve-wracking traffic or crowded
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England their parents never imagined. Students’ future job opportunities
activatedEurope@activated.org (and happiness, they’re told) depend on them mastering an ever-
(07801) 442-317 increasing mass of information and keeping up with technology
Activated India that’s advancing at a dizzying pace. Movies, TV, music and
P.O. Box 5215 advertising have nearly everyone trying harder than ever to be
G.P.O. someone else—richer, more glamorous, more successful, more
Bangalore - 1
India
powerful, more famous. Who isn’t stressed out these days?
activatedIndia@activated.org
And if we don’t have enough problems of our own, we’re
constantly subjected to “secondhand stress.” Friends and co-
VISIT US AT workers, hurried shoppers, weary salespeople and the driver behind
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us are often more than willing to share their stress with us. Those
EDITOR who aren’t living in the fast lane live in fear of being blown off
Keith Phillips the road by those who are. It seems there’s no end to it!
But it doesn’t have to be that way. There’s a sure and simple
DESIGN
Giselle LeFavre cure, and it doesn’t cost a thing—no therapists, no drugs, no
rigorous exercise routines, no rehab, no gadgets, no gimmicks.
PRODUCTION You’ll feel better and be in better health, you’ll get more done,
Francisco Lopez
you’ll sleep better, you’ll be happier, you’ll get more out of life
Issue 13 and you’ll have more to give—and it only takes a few minutes a
© 2000 Aurora Production, Ltd. day. Read on to find out more!
All Rights Reserved
ctivated issue 13 3
Pressured? by maria david
4 ctivated issue 13
First things first
Pressure is the enemy! That’s especially true for
t i mt ae k e
Christians, because when we feel under pressure, the
first thing to get crowded out of our schedule is
often the very thing we need most—our time with
the Lord. I got up early one morning
You could be the most organized person in the And rushed right into the day.
world, but if you neglect your time with the Lord, I had so much to accomplish
your spirit will suffer. Personal happiness and ful-
That I didn’t have time to pray.
fillment, successful relations with others, productiv-
ity, and everything else that really matters in life all
depend on your keeping your connection with the Troubles just tumbled about me,
Lord strong, getting spiritually nourished from His And heavier came each task.
Word, being refreshed and refilled by His Spirit, and “Why doesn’t God help me?” I wondered.
taking time to love and be loved by Him. He answered, “You didn’t ask.”
To get the Lord’s perfect peace, you have to take
time with the Lord. To take time with Him, you have I tried to come into God’s presence.
to trust that whatever urgent work you have is in His I used all my keys at the lock.
hands and under His control. To trust Him, you have God gently and lovingly chided,
to understand and embrace the wonderful truth that “Why, child, you didn’t knock.”
He loves you so much He wants to help you with
every aspect of your life.
He is concerned about you and your happiness. I wanted to see joy and beauty,
He wants to be involved. He wants to help you with But the day toiled on, gray and bleak.
your workload, and He will help you as much as you I called on the Lord for the reason—
let Him. He will lighten your load incredibly if you’ll He said, “You didn’t seek.”
just ask Him.
So when you begin to feel under pressure, the I woke up early this morning,
smartest thing you can do is stop and ask the Lord And paused before entering the day.
for help. He wants you to bring your problems to I had so much to accomplish
Him, and if you will, He will soothe your ruffled That I had to take time to pray.
nerves, calm your mind, and show you what to do. —AUTHOR UNKNOWN
Taking that time to pray and commit your work
p rtaoy .
to the Lord is the best way in the world to alleviate
pressure. It’s like opening the pressure valve of your
spirit. If you don’t take that time with Him, the pres-
sure continues to mount.
ined!
6
FLY TO ME!ctivated issue 13
A FLY TO ME!
re you sometimes
Quietness
worried and bur-
dened with the strain
of it all? Yes, I know
you are. Those are the times
to feed 5,000 people from a
mere five loaves of bread and
two fish? (Matthew 14:15-21).
That was an impossible task,
but I did not worry about it. I
only had to accept My Father’s
feeding reading
when you must fly to Me. Fly
to Me on the wings of prayer, help by saying, “I cannot do Quietness of spirit is
and I will sustain you. this. I cannot, but You can” strength of spirit:
The burdens were not (John 5:19).—And My Father
Ecclesiastes 7:8
designed to fit on your shoul- did! He did what I in My own
ders; they were intended for strength could not do. Isaiah 30:15
Me to carry. In My love and And I did not feed those Luke 21:19
compassion I have fashioned 5,000 by organizing fishing 1 Peter 3:4
it so that you might draw close boats and sending My dis-
to Me, so that you might rest ciples out to catch fish. All I Quieting our spirits before
here on My breast, so that did was look up and cast My
the Lord shows that we
you might need Me, and so burden on My Father. He per-
that you might feel My love. I formed the miracle that fed expect Him to work in our
love you, and I will carry you 5,000 that day, but I had to behalf; it’s a sign of faith
through if you will cast all your truly trust first. I had to take and trust:
cares upon Me. the stand of faith before My Exodus 14:13a
Be as a wise man who Father could do the miracle. Isaiah 26:3
learns from the example of Afterward came the organiza-
Isaiah 40:31
others. Look to the example tion and distribution of the
of My servant Martin Luther, food, but the quiet trust came Philippians 4:6-7
who, when he had a task that first. Hebrews 4:9-11
was too big, pulled back and The situations and the
took double time in prayer problems and the burdens Fretting and operating in
and sweet communion with were many, and the pressing the energy of the flesh are
Me. needs of the people about Me
futile and hinder us from
You ask how you will ever were great. So were the cries
accomplish all you need to? of “It can’t be done!” Many doing things God’s way:
Do as Luther did. When he of My followers were besieged Psalm 37:7-9
prayed, he cast all of his bur- by doubt and discouragement. Luke 10:38-42
dens on Me. This is the secret Indeed the problems seemed Luke 12:25-26
of quiet rest—casting all your insurmountable at times, yet
cares upon Me, knowing that those were the times when I
Quietness of spirit, like
I care for you, knowing that learned to truly trust, to truly
I have always taken care of lean upon My Father and to peace of mind, comes from
every problem you have given cast My cares on Him. knowing that we’re doing
to Me, and I always will! I will not allow more to be our best to please the Lord
Look to My own example: put upon your shoulders than and stay in His will:
When I was followed day after you and I together are able to Psalm 119:165
day by multitudes of needy bear. As you cast your burden
Proverbs 1:33
people, I knew I could not upon Me, you will be able to
solve all of their problems avail yourself of My strength. Isaiah 32:17
Myself. How was I ever going My strength will be perfected Matthew 11:28-30
to come up with enough food in you (2 Corinthians 12:9). Romans 5:1
ctivated issue 13 7
By David Brandt Berg
temple time
(Describing a vision:) Lord, looking up through that starry
I
see a picture of a group of dome, breathing that heavenly air,
people under a dome in a and hearing that beautiful music.
big central room. They’re all We’d find peace and rest for our soul.
looking up, like they expect It would totally renew us and refresh
something. There are other us and give us new vision and fresh
people rushing around busily out in inspiration, new strength, rest and
the wings [in service to God], but peace and joy.
the people under the central dome
are just standing there quietly, look- Have you been there?
ing up. They’re bathed in a beautiful Have you taken time to get quiet
golden glow from above, and they before God as you slip into the
take deep breaths of the heavenly temple of the Spirit? Have you been
air that descends on them. It’s the there to get a fresh breath of air from
Lord’s temple. Heaven? If you haven’t, you’ve really
(Prayer:) Oh Lord, for a breath missed something! You’ll get awfully
of Your heavenly air to refresh us tired and weary and upset and fear-
and clear our minds and inspire our ful and doubtful and discouraged
hearts and give us visions that thrill and worried and flurried and hur-
us, that set our heads awhirl for You, ried. You’ll get out of touch with the
Jesus! Lord and run out of strength and
The people who are so busy wisdom and love and patience—all
rushing around get tired and have because you haven’t come into the
to come under the dome to get
refreshed and refilled.
(Prayer:) Help us to be like that,
Jesus. Help us to remember we can’t
go on without the heavenly vision
You give, without a breath of heav-
enly fresh air, without the sound of
that sweet music. We just can’t go
on without hearing Your voice and
getting inspired by the upward look!
We wouldn’t worry and fret so He can clarify all your thoughts with just one
if we spent more time with the sweet strain of heavenly music.
8 ctivated issue 13
temple to be refreshed and renewed the clamor of business. Those other
by His Spirit. things may be necessary, but you
Are you too busy? Are you in have to keep coming back into the
too big a hurry? Is your work too rotunda in spirit to get your batter-
important to stop for a few minutes ies recharged. You can’t do it without
of inspiration and refreshing from Him. You’ll never make it without
on high, spiritual renewal, physical His power. You may run for a while,
rest—a little love feast with the Lord? but unless you come back and get
You’ll never make it if you don’t stop hooked up to the current again,
for a while under the dome. If you you’ll run slower and slower till you
don’t get in there and catch a little of have nothing left and are just plumb
His light, you’re not going to reflect flat!
much of it to others. It can be downright hard work
out in the wings, and you’ll never
Make a temple of your heart! have the strength or the vision or the
All you have to do is get alone inspiration that you need to do that
with the Lord and look up at all His work unless you keep coming back
beauties and breathe His heavenly in under the dome.
air and hear His heavenly music and He can solve all your problems
see His heavenly visions. in one little glimpse. He can refresh
It doesn’t have to be at any set your whole spirit with one deep
time. You can look up through the breath. He can clarify all your
dome any time of day, anywhere, thoughts with just one sweet strain
wherever you are, whatever you’re of heavenly music. He can wipe away
doing. Just take a few quiet moments all your fears and tears with just
with the Lord. Anytime, anywhere, one little restful moment in that per-
you can come swiftly out of the fect peace He gives when your mind
wings and enter the temple in spirit is stayed on Him and Him alone,
(John 4:24). Look and live! Look up! because you trust in Him (Isaiah
Make a temple of your heart. See 26:3).
what God can do in that beautiful It just takes one little glimpse of
realm of the spirit. Jesus to make it worth it all—and to
You just can’t do that very well help you be able to do it all. Take
in the midst of the other voices and time in the temple today!
ctivated issue 13 9
PATH OF
JAKARTA, MAY 13, 1998
“Quick!” one of them terrible was happening in the ever, someone got up and went
shouted. “Get out of here! A streets below, and there was only to the window. Everything was
mob is headed this way!” one thing that we could do: pray quiet and still. Not a soul was in
There were more people desperately for the Lord to keep sight. We were safe!
behind the two teenagers—doz- us from harm! Phil and Esther ran up to the
ens of them on foot and motor- A couple of us kept our roof to get a better look. There
bikes, or in cars—all racing as children occupied with reading they could see just how wonder-
fast as they could to keep ahead in another room, while the rest fully we had been saved. The
of the rioters. of us prayed as we never had mob had left a path of destruc-
The first young man stopped before! Time passed. We prayed tion down the street that led to
and bent over. Resting his hands on. When the shouting and our neighborhood—a cindered,
on his knees, he tried to catch screaming below got louder, we litter-strewn mess of mangled
his breath. “They’re breaking stopped our ears and claimed steel and shattered glass. The
shop windows and setting build- God’s protection over and over. mob had come straight up our
ings on fire—buildings just like Psalm 91 was a tremendous street, and then just a few meters
this one!” he said. “They’re right comfort. “A thousand may fall at before it got to our apartment,
around the corner! You’ve got to your side, and ten thousand at the mob had made a U-turn and
run! You’ve got to get your fami- your right hand; but it shall not headed for a nearby supermar-
lies out of there!” Fear flashed come near you. … I will say of ket.
in his eyes and he sprinted off the Lord, ‘He is my refuge and For some time after that,
again. A wave of panic swept my fortress; my God, in Him I we could still hear the shouts
over the crowd, and they took will trust.’… You shall not be of looters as they emptied the
off too. afraid of the terror by night, nor supermarket of anything they
John and Lydia prayed to stay of the arrow that flies by day. could carry. Later, 200-foot col-
calm. Without saying another … No evil shall befall you, nor umns of fire illuminated the
word to each other, they turned, shall any plague come near your night sky as two nearby depart-
rushed back to our apartment dwelling” (Psalm 91:2,5,7,10). It ment stores were looted and
building and bounded up the seemed like that had been writ- burned.
stairs. Joanna had seen them ten specifically for us. The peace Destruction and terror were
coming and flung the door open of God covered our spirits like a all around, but through it all, we
for them. blanket. were kept safe in the hands of
It was clear that something After what seemed like for- our loving Savior.
ctivated issue 13 11
Q
answers to your questions My friends and I are in the habit of exchanging gossip about others. I sometimes feel
bad about it because, to be honest, a lot of it is unkind or sarcastic. But I just can’t
resist the desire to be in on “the latest.” Any advice?
King Solomon said, “The tongue has It often only takes a few words hast-
the power of life and death” (Proverbs ily spoken to start things going wrong.
18:21 NIV). Think of that! The words you So how can we guard against that
say are real things. They can bless or thoughtless, unkind word that can leap
curse, they can lift up or knock down, so quickly from our lips? What can we
they can save or damn! do to tame our tongues?
The old saying, “Sticks and stones Well, try as we may, we can’t! The
can break my bones, but words can Bible says, “Every kind of beast and
never hurt me,” is not true at all! Take, bird, of reptile and creature of the sea,
for example, the true story of Mary is tamed and has been tamed by man-
Ellen and Jesse Pepper: Mary was so kind. But no man can tame the tongue”
hurt and discouraged by the malicious (James 3:7-8). Only God can tame it!
gossip that another 18-year-old girl, “With men it is impossible, but with
Jesse, had spread about her that Mary God all things are possible” (Matthew
committed suicide—and Jesse was con- 19:26). The only way to fully tame our
victed of manslaughter. It was called a tongues is by asking God to change
“gossip slaying” because Mary took her our hearts, “for out of the abundance
life as a result of the gossip. of the heart the mouth speaks” (Mat-
That may seem like an extreme thew 12:34). If your heart is overflowing
example, but honestly now, is it that with God’s love, then the words of your
extreme? Haven’t there ever been times mouth will be filled with love and com-
when you’ve felt so low and discouraged passion.
because of someone’s cruel, unkind There’s only one way to change the
words that you wished you were dead? untamed tongue, and that is to change
Or maybe you have wounded someone the spirit that controls it. You can never
else that way. control it yourself. Jesus is the only true
Let’s face it, we’ve all been guilty at source of love, kindness, goodness and
some time or another of hurting others sweetness, and as you allow Jesus to
with our words. Maybe they were unin- take control of your life, He also takes
tentional, maybe they were intended in control of your tongue. His Spirit in you
fun, but they were unkind and hurtful will inspire you and even speak through
just the same. you with His wonderful words of love,
Maybe at that very moment the light and life!
other person was longing for a word
of encouragement, but instead our cut-
ting words wounded deeply and left an
ugly scar. This poem makes the point
poignantly:
ctivated
ctivated issue
issue 13
13 13
13
Racing
Toward the Mark
By Keith Phillips
D
uring the last half of the the news and then pipes it to us.
reign of the Antichrist, the They engineer events and set the
three-and-a-half-year trends—wars, revolutions, terrorist
period known as the Great Tribula- attacks, assassinations, political and
tion, those who refuse to worship economic upheavals, international
him or accept his mark, or number, drug trafficking—then form our per-
will not be able to buy or sell. ception of those things through the
We who worship God will be per- media that they also control. They
secuted, but our faith in God will are masters of collective and individ-
save us. At the end of this period, ual mind control, and their aim is to
Jesus will come back to rescue us, master us!
destroy the Antichrist’s worldwide In an interview with the Indepen-
economic, political and religious dent newspaper of South Africa (Jan.
system, and set up His own king- 19, 1998), Icke stated, “The secret
dom here on Earth. government of the world is manip-
The technology needed to insti- ulating the human mind to accept
tute the mark of the Beast—tech- a centralized global tyranny, as we
nology unheard of only a few years speak. This tyranny is called the New
ago—is rapidly developing. Con- World Order, and unless we wake up
sider the following: it will manifest as a world govern-
ment; a world central bank, currency
Microchipped to Serve and army and a microchipped popu-
At a time when conspiracy the- lation linked to a global computer.”
ories abound, perhaps no one is And we’d better wake up quick,
more outspoken than former TV because it’s happening! Already pets
sports commentator and spokes- are being microchipped, and human
man for the British Green Party, applications are either being dis-
David Icke, who has written 10 cussed or are in the experimental
books supporting the same basic stage—from microchipping pre-
premise: The same few people, schoolers to thwart kidnappings and
organizations and secret societies make it possible to track lost chil-
are taking over the world—and us. dren, to microchipping parolees and
This Elite, according to Icke, creates inmates in “jail at home” programs.
14 ctivated issue 13
Ultimately, Icke says, the plan as a crucial first step in developing
includes the microchipping of all direct connections between comput-
babies at birth. “The technology ers and the brain. This will lead to
already exists, and all that remains silicon-based enhancements for the
is to persuade the public to accept body, ranging from memory devices
it. One way this will be done is inside the head to ‘bionic’ eyes that
to highlight missing children stories, allow blind people to see,” states the
including the abduction of babies Sunday Times article.
from maternity wards.” When asked about the latest
On the financial front, coins and research, Colin Humphreys, a pro-
banknotes are being phased out in fessor at Cambridge University, said
favor of credit and smart cards. it raised the frightening prospect
“Today if you go into a shop to of one day being able to control
buy anything and your credit card people’s minds through silicon chip
is refused by the computer, you can implants.
pay with cash,” Icke explains. “What
happens when there is no cash? If Chip Implants to Track Workers
the computer refuses your card or “Big Brother could soon be
microchip, you have no means to watching from the inside,” another
“He [the False buy anything. We will then be robots Sunday Times article (May 9, 1999)
Prophet, top in every sense of the word, an exten- warns. “Several international com-
aide to the sion of a computer program.” panies are consulting scientists on
Antichrist, also Proponents of microchipping ways of developing microchip
known as the humans say there are other selling implants for their workers to mea-
points: Passports could be done sure their timekeeping and track
Beast] causes away with, and people could carry their whereabouts.
all, both small their medical records with them “The technology, which has been
and great, rich wherever they go, in case of acci- proven on pets and human volun-
and poor, free dent. In the UK, people are already teers, would enable firms to track
and slave, to being microchipped with their medi- staff all around a building or com-
cal records. “Even more frightening,” plex. The data could enable them to
receive a mark Icke says, “is that the microchip can draw up estimates of workers’ effi-
on their right be used to modify [human] behav- ciency and productivity.
hand or on ior.” “The technology is likely to have
their foreheads, a strong appeal to companies with
and that no one Connecting Brain to Computer high labor costs, for which small
According to an article in The increases in staff productivity can
may buy or sell Sunday Times (London, England, have a big impact on profits. It is also
except one who Nov. 7, 1997), the prospect of relatively cheap—just a few [British]
has the mark extending human intelligence by pounds for each person, according
or the name of means of electronic implants in the to Professor Kevin Warwick of Read-
the Beast, or brain has come two steps closer. Sci- ing University.
entists have not only grown living “For a business the potential is
the number of nerves cells of a rat—cells that obvious,” the article quotes Warwick.
his name” closely resemble their counterpart in “You can tell when people clock into
(Revelation humans—on a silicon chip, but have work and when they leave the build-
13:16-17). also transmitted electrical impulses ing. You would know at all times
along the nerves to trigger sensors exactly where they were and who
within the chip. they were with.”
“The findings are being hailed
ctivated issue 13 15
From Jesus with Love
16 ctivated issue 13