|
People of The Living God |
|
September 2020
WATCHMEN ON THE WALLS
THE SERIOUSNESS OF AND
FOOLISHNESS OF “WOKE”
Warren Berry
One of Jesus disciples who is rarely mentioned in scripture is Nathanael. He is specifically named only in John’s gospel in chapters one and twenty-one. Yet, Nathanael’s introduction in John1:45-49 has always made an impression upon me. Nathanael was brutally honest, and when Philip told him that they had found the Messiah, Jesus of Nazareth, Nathanael’s first response was, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” Philip persuaded Nathanael to go with him to see Jesus. As Nathanael approached Jesus, Jesus said, “Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile”.
Here was a man who desired truth, without all the religious or political bias which affects so many people, both religious and non-religious. Whether prejudice affected his mind is not clear, but the brazen fact to Nathanael was that nothing good came from Nazareth. Yet, when he heard Jesus’ words, he realized that here before Him stood the Messiah, for he said, “Rabbi, thou are the Son of God, thou are the King of Israel” (John1:49).
Today, it seems all across this land and around the world few people really want to know the truth. We live in a “woke” society where reason and common sense is discarded for what “feels right” or “feels good”. We hear this word “woke” quite often on the news and read it on the internet, but what does it actually mean?
From Dictionary.com: “Woke means being conscious of racial discrimination in society and other forms of oppression and injustice.” In mainstream use, woke can also more generally describe someone or something as being "with it." Being “with it” is whatever is popular at the moment regardless of what is true, what is reasonable, or what has been proven to work for the last two and a half centuries.
In today’s world “woke” is the acceptance of changing morals, traditional morals which have been tested and proven since the founding of the United States. These morals which are becoming unacceptable are those very strongly based on Judeo-Christian values found in scripture. These standards are considered to be the white man’s standards and are standards which have been “forced” upon all those living in the United States. The “woke” agenda is to rebel against these standards.
For men like Nathanael, they would search for truth rather than merely accepting what the “woke” generation is promoting. Yet this is very rarely the case today. One of the enemies of the “woke” crowd is capitalism. While capitalism is not perfect, it is the best that history has seen. The perfect kingdom is that of Jesus Christ, which He came preaching and declaring was “at hand.” The world has yet to see the Kingdom of Christ fully operating in the world; therefore, we live under a government much inferior. There are powers behind the protests, riots, demands to defund the police, etc. that are set on the destruction of this nation. They are using the Covid-19 pandemic as the excuse to bring in a new form of government, destroy the Constitution of the United States and set up a socialist government. Chaos, turmoil, and destruction of property and historical monuments are all part of this movement. It is a time to be in serious prayer for our nation. Thankfully, many Christians throughout this country and in other countries are standing in the gap. The survival of this nation is in God’s hands and the Church has power to move the arm of God.
Historical Facts to Consider
I would like to present some basic food for thought to help us discern how and where our great adversary is working through all that we see happening in our country today.
First, this nation was clearly established on Judeo-Christian principles. I don’t think any honest person would deny this premise. Yet the “woke” generation attempts to point out that this is a “white man’s” society which discriminates against any who are not “white.” There are several errors in this premise. If Judeo-Christianity is the foundation for the American society, then it stems from the Jewish nation. Jews are not fair-skinned, white people; they are of a darker complexion. What complexion the other tribes of Israel had is uncertain to me (although some people believe they can tell). What we do know is that Israel was scattered throughout the known world when Assyria captured Israel somewhere around 720 – 740 BC. Some migrated into Europe, for we know that the Gospel in the first century spread throughout Asia, Europe, and into northern Africa. It is believed that the disciple, Thomas, took the Gospel as far as India, although that cannot be definitely proven. The supposition here is that Christianity spread into all nations and many races embraced its glorious truths, for it was God’s great invitation for all gentile nations. Christianity was not and is not for any single nationality; it is for all people. Jesus died for the sins of the whole world.
With this in mind, it is foolish and ignorant to say that the United States Constitution and society was originally racist, for true Christianity is not racist. With the “Great Commission” found in Matthew28:19-20, Jesus told His disciples, “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you I, even unto the end of the world. Amen.” (emphasis mine) Jesus came to save all races and opened the way for all “Gentile” nations to be saved.
The second thing we need to consider is the fact that there were slaves brought to America and even some of the founding fathers owned slaves. We cannot dismiss this fact just because it is inconvenient or doesn’t suit our narrative. Slavery is wrong, and I believe that any honest person knows it is wrong and will emphatically state so. But we must remember that America was in its infancy and there were a myriad of problems which faced the fledging nation. Victory over England had just been obtained. There was a need for some established government to hold things together, to secure safety for its citizens, provide some type of legal tender, establish funds for government and military, determine where federal government authority and that of the states would meet, and the list goes on and on. Slavery was one issue that needed to be dealt with, but it was seventy years later before it became a priority. This is not to say that it should have taken that long, but bad habits and societal norms are hard to change or to break away from.
If we will look at another major historical event which took place in Europe, it might help us get a better grasp of the dilemma America found herself in. The founding fathers faced tremendous obstacles and were launching into a completely new and unknown territory. They were to set up a government unlike any in history and questions needed to be asked and addressed, such as, “which problems must be faced and dealt with first?” “What are the priorities?” When Martin Luther nailed his Ninety-five Theses on the door of the Castle Church in Wittenberg, Germany, it was the beginning of the “Great Reformation.” Many Christian theologians began to break away from the Catholic Church. The years that followed were not years in which all who saw the fallacies of Catholicism came together in peaceful harmony and all theological difficulties and doctrines were resolved overnight. In fact, theological differences still exist today, five hundred years later, and there are still wranglings among many over different Biblical teachings.
What do we learn from this? It takes time to address every problem that exists and to build a coherent and stable nation. It has been claimed by some that if America had not engaged in the Civil War, that negotiation and time would have dissolved slavery and the problem of racism that we face today would not exist. Only God knows what would have happened if negotiations were attempted instead of war.
The third point is, this nation has always been open for any race of people to come and enjoy the freedoms which America has provided. That invitation is still open. Millions of immigrants from countries all around the world have come to this country in search of a better way of life and have found it. It is this very freedom and liberty that is being threatened today. The indisputable fact that people from all over the world desire to come to America is a vivid declaration that America is one of the best countries in the world in which to live. I believe that those who have lived in America for the past 70 years have lived in the best society and conditions in earth’s history with the greatest blessings. The modern conveniences, technologies, knowledge, opportunities, education, freedoms, securities, affluence, and other blessings too numerous to mention have made our lives prosperous and successful for all who have taken advantage of the opportunities offered.
All these blessings and freedoms are being threatened today. Presently in Seattle, Washington, the city has decided to require all city employees to take classes in what is being called, “Interrupting Internalized Racial Superiority and Whiteness.” (And interestingly, only white employees are required to take the course.) Not everything in the indoctrination is bad, for some of it is sound, but there are parts which go too far. A few things which are definitely questionable are: “Letting go of the things we have to give up, in order to be accomplices, such as:
· Comfort · Any expectations or presumptions of emotional safety that is either uninterrupted or immediately restored · At times, guaranteed physical safety · Control over people and over the land · Relationships with some other white people · Social status, niceties from neighbors and colleagues, the certainty of your job · ‘Fitting in all the time’. (Be willing to be rejected by other white people)”
Think about what this list requires. And the list goes on. For those who are interested, you can find more here: https://christopherrufo.com/city-of-seattle-interrupting-internalized-racial-superiority-and-whiteness-training/ This teaching is also scheduled to be taught in all the public schools in the Seattle area, so it will be affecting the next generation.
It’s Time for America to Pray
The only solution to our present crisis in America is prayer. Jesus clearly gave warning to His people that we are to “watch and pray always that we may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass and to stand before the Son of man” (Luke21:36). He told us in Matthew 25 that all the virgins would slumber and sleep. This is the reason America finds herself in the place we are today; the church has been asleep, and it’s time to awaken out of sleep and begin to pray for our nation and seek God for an awakening and a restoration.
In Ezekiel 9, the Lord sent destroyers into Jerusalem as His judgment upon the wicked. But before these destroyers were sent, He sent a man with an inkhorn to go through the city and put a mark on the forehead of those who were crying and sighing for all the abominations done in Jerusalem. Those who received the mark were spared. There is, and has been for years a crying and sighing among believers who have beheld the gradual rejection of this nation’s once moral values and standards. We grieve as our government officials, our Supreme Court, offer the unborn upon the altar of promiscuous behavior and uncontrolled lust. We sigh when we see homes of thousands broken through divorce and fornication and children emotionally scarred, many for life. We cry when we observe our young people unable to speak one sentence without some vulgar word inserted, words which truthfully make no sense whatsoever. We weep as we see drugs destroying so many in society, the flow of drugs into this country which should have been long ago stopped. It just appears that too many kick-backs keep the drug channels open.
We know from scripture that there will come a day, which Jesus said will be a time of great tribulation, and Christ’s return will be imminent. I don’t know if this is that time or not, but I am certain the days are evil and the evil of Noah’s day and Lot’s day are not much different from what we see today. Whether God’s judgment will fall at this time on America probably depends on the church. Therefore, we must begin to awaken and pray so whether judgment falls or God mercifully gives us grace, we will be ready.
“If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land” (IIChron.7:14).
A MORE EXCELLENT WAY
Harry Miller
It is quite possible for a religious people to “have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge” (ICor.13:2) and yet fail. “Charity,” or God love, is the real true norm of the Christian faith. Look at the words of Jesus in the gospel of John, “A new commandment I give unto you” (Ye are My disciples IF ye do the things that I say), “That ye love one another; as I have loved you…by this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another” (John13:34,35).
Genuine Christians – not those who are merely Christians in name, but men and women who know God, and are known of Him – are members of the family of Jesus. Such people are conscious of the divine relationship of the heavenly family. When they meet another true child of God, even though they may have never known him before, they have a joyous witness within of meeting one of their kinsmen.
Such people are truly brethren, not because of their agreement upon certain interpretations of doctrine, neither because they are agreed upon certain schools of religious belief, but because of the witness of the Spirit of love within them.
Here, my good friends, is the most fundamental truth of our Christian faith. It is imperative that we love the brethren. “Whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of God, neither he that loveth not his brother” (IJohn3:10). “This is the message…we should love one another” (verse 11).
This love for the brethren is not a sentimental affair. Mere sentiment sways back and forth with the emotions. It is more fickle than Judas was, for it has no foundation in reality. The true love of God is first an attribute of His character. It is a gift to His “new creatures,” which must be exercised in order to be retained. Love is never passive, or dormant; it is a living force of power within the temple of the Holy Ghost.
It is such love that looks beyond the frailties of humanity. It serves and “thinketh no evil.” This is the motivating force which causes a saved person to be longsuffering and kind even in the face of enemies. It is such love that compels a Christian to DO his Lord’s will.
How much shall I love my brother? Answer – “as I have loved you.” But, someone may say, “But He died for us.”
Oh, yes, He has also answered that “we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren” (IJohn3:16).
Pay attention to the next verse: “But whoso hath this world’s good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him?” (v. 17) And the next verse is potent with action: “Let us not love in word, neither in tongue, but in deed and in truth” (v. 18). The Greek word, deed, is eron, which means work, toil, labor.
My Christian brethren, do you know that our Lord prayed that we might be one in this great God-given gift? “That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us” (John17:21).
Have you ever noticed how “The King,” in Matthew twenty-five, gave the reward of eternal life to the “sheep” because they served His body? They visited the sick; they fed the poor; they visited those who were in prison; they were champions and helpers of the afflicted. Nothing is said here about their doctrinal beliefs; whether they were “fundamentalists” or whether they supported organized Christianity. The thing which counted with “the King” was that they loved in deed.
If we are going to reach the true heavenly abode of saints, it will be necessary for us to practice true Christianity and show forth the genuine fruits of righteousness. Profession without works is a mockery: “Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone” (James2:17). “He that saith, I know Him, and keepeth not His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him” (IJohn2:4). The only proof heaven accepts is how we act, not how we say we believe. Too many people deceive themselves by testifying of their faith, and ardently declaring that they are “ready to die for their Lord,” but their works do not bear out their testimony. “This people…honoreth Me with their lips; but their heart is far from Me” (Matt.15:8). And Brother Titus said: “They profess that they know God; but in works they deny Him” (Titus1:16).
The writer, Jude, speaks of the “common” salvation (verse 3) and says it was once delivered unto he saints, but that ungodly men had come in and turned the grace of God into loose living. He tells men that this faith, given of God, is worth “contending” for. The Greek word for common is koinos. Jude was speaking of the koinos salvation.
If you are looking for a real revelation of truth, look up the New Testament usage of this word koinos. In Acts4:32 it is said that “the multitude of them that believed were of one heart and of one soul; neither said any of them that ought of the things which he possessed was his own; but they had all things koinos” (common). In other words, this apostolic people were the family of Jesus; they were members one of another, “bone of His bone.” The love of God constrained them to share with every Christian, to work for every member of His body. This was love in deed.
Some have thought the apostolic community plan was a new venture, but those who walked with the Saviour lived in His family, and had all things koinos. Judas, if you remember, was their treasurer. From this time on, the “church” was that true body of believers who practiced common living. After His ascension they were all in an upper room for ten days. Then at Pentecost, being filled with the Holy Spirit, and three thousand converts being added unto them, it is said that they “continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship” (Acts2:42). This word, “fellowship,” is from the same Greek root koinos, being here koinonia. Here, we have the doctrine (belief) and the fellowship (deeds) of true Christians.
This same word, koinonia, is used in relation to the “communion” of the cup and bread of ICorinthians10:16. It is also used in regard to our relation with the Father (IJohn1:3,6,7).
In Colossians, we read that eating and drinking are “a shadow of things to come” (Col.2:16,17). Since these things are included with other religious observances, we are of the opinion that this refers to the ordinance of communion. At the “Last Supper,” the Lord Jesus made an important prophecy relative to this observance. He said, “I will not any more eat thereof, until it be fulfilled in the kingdom of God” (Luke22:16). And concerning the cup, He said, “I will not drink of the fruit of the vine, until the kingdom of God shall come” (Luke22:17,18).
When the Son of man shall come in all the glory of His kingdom then we shall sit down at His table with the rest of the family of Jesus, and as He said, the ordinance, or “shadow,” will be “fulfilled.”
We conclude that koinonia, at present, is but a foretaste of that great koinonia when millions of the heavenly family shall have all things common. Here is a doctrine so fundamental that it is high time Christians begin to observe its import.
Are you aware of the fact that before the Lord Jesus shall return, certain things must be “restored” to His true church, and that His people will be gathered together?
The marriage supper of the “Lamb” will be attended here on earth, and it will be a love feast between the saints and their Saviour.
IS THEOLOGY STILL TAUGHT IN CHURCH?
(Part Three)
Alfred King
In the previous two articles addressing questions raised by a Christian Band’s lead singer, I have attempted to address two of this man’s concerns, questions which caused him to turn from his religious past and become an atheist. The two concerns previously addressed dealt with questions regarding why God seemed so angry in the Old Testament and so loving in the New, and why God would impose such ill on Job and require Abraham to offer his son as a burnt offering. This month I would like to take up his further concerns relative to God and His ways.
Let’s begin with the portion of his Instagram which we want to consider. He writes, “I remember being uncomfortable with certain things. Praying in public always felt like some kind of weird performance art. Emotional cries such as ‘Holy Spirit come fill this place’ always felt clunky and awkward leaving my lips. A youth conference I attended encouraged every team to sign a pledge that they would ‘date Jesus’ for a year. It felt manipulative and unsettling to me. I didn’t sign it.”
Asking young people to sign a pledge to “date Jesus” for a year is (as he wrote) “manipulative,” and it is a frivolous attempt to get young people emotionally stirred and fired up for something for which most were not ready. Repeating the point presented in the previous two articles, one must be born again before any real spiritual transformation can take place. You can get people to “date Jesus” all you want, but unless they are born again, it is just a ploy to make people feel good about themselves, and at best, it will last only a short time. Jesus, in speaking to Nicodemus in John three, stated very emphatically that one cannot enter or see the kingdom of God except he be “Born Again.” In verse seven, Jesus says, “Ye MUST be born again”. To attempt to circumvent this initial experience is to lead one down the road of disappointment, discouragement, and final rejection of Christianity altogether, or it leads one to become a religious hypocrite or a religious fanatic. History is full of those who have called themselves, “Christian” but have been everything but.
Why did it feel “clunky and awkward” when this man would call upon the Holy Spirit? It was because the Holy Spirit was not in this man’s heart; he had never been saved and washed in the blood of Jesus Christ. Why was prayer “a weird performance act”? There was no personal relationship or friendship between his soul and the Savior. No doubt he had been convinced that he was a genuine Christian merely because he attended church regularly and his father was the pastor, or he knelt at an altar and repeated the sinner’s prayer. He succeeded in memorizing all the verses required in Sunday school, sang in church and (since he is a singer) he had sung many specials in church and lived a clean life. He had integrity and morals which impressed all his friends and the members of the church. He did all the things Christians should do. Yet he did not know Christ nor his saving grace. If he ever experienced genuine conversion, he lost it somewhere down the road.
Several years ago, I read a book written by a Russian whose parents had immigrated to the USA when he was a child. When he was grown, he found Christ and desired to do something that would minister to the church. He decided to start a Christian book store in a small town in Arizona. There was only one other Christian book store in the town and there were several churches, including a Catholic Church. The man was very conscientious about providing books that were scriptural and would aid a Christian in his walk with God. Consequently, he would read every book before he would offer it for sale in his store.
The author related an event which summed up what takes place in many Christian churches today. One day, a bus load of young people stopped by this man’s store so the young people could browse around some and get a break from riding the bus. Most were in their upper teens and early twenties and were from a large Christian church. They were traveling to Mexico to help build a church. Most of the young people purchased something, so it was good business for the owner. However, he was greatly disturbed by their purchases. Not one purchased a book of serious content. Mostly, they purchased religious trinkets, pens, necklaces, and things to wear or pin on their shirts which showed they were “Christians.” The lack of spirituality permeated their presence, yet they were on a missionary venture to build a church in Mexico. While I realize that young people gravitate toward religious paraphernalia, the fact that no one purchased a book of Biblical Theology or on spiritual growth or something meaningful for Christian living and maturity was disturbing, and rightly so. Unfortunately, this is the case of many Christian young people today. There has been, and is being taught, an easy believism in our churches. Just as this young singer, who went to the altar and repeated the sinner’s prayer and believed he was saved.
According to Sermon Central, Billy Graham once lamentingly said “he would be happy if 5% of those that made a profession of faith at his crusades were truly saved.” Billy Graham realized that emotions and peer pressure play a great part in people’s response in a religious gathering, whether it be a crusade, a revival meeting, a rally, or in a weekly church service. I have personally seen young people go to the altar after an emotional sermon, accompanied with great testimonies, and special music playing as the invitation is given, shed tears and even speak in tongues only to go out afterward and be no different than when they went into that service. All I can say is that if they were not changed they were never really saved. Scripture tells us that when one is born again, he is a new creation, a new creature (IICor.5:17), a new person, old things pass away and all things become new. He is translated out of the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of God’s dear Son, Jesus Christ (Col.1:13). He is raised from death to life (John5:24). If this is not one’s experience, I do not believe he is truly saved. He can be a very good person, attend church regularly, be a deacon in the church or even the pastor and still be lost as a penny in the Sahara Desert.
I am reminded of a man who pastored in a church in Alabama for several years. He has since passed away, but he told me one day that he had pastored churches for over twenty years before he was saved. He thought he was saved, but when he was in his forties, he realized that the life, of which scripture teaches is for every born again believer, was missing in his life and ministry. He began to seek God and was genuinely saved, and he realized he had merely been religious for all those years previous. The religious Pharisees and Sadducees thought they were right with God but they were the greatest opposition to Jesus Christ. They were only proud, arrogant, religious hypocrites who knew nothing about the true ways of God or of His divine nature and loving character. We must all be diligent in retaining the life-giving relationship to Jesus Christ that we found when we were saved, and be certain that the light that is in us not become darkness.
As far as praying or giving a testimony in public is concerned, most people have some trepidation when attempting these things. This is especially true for a person who is not eloquent in speaking or one who is shy. Yet I have seen some of the most bashful people give some wonderful testimonies of what God has done for them when they are moved upon by the Holy Spirit. I have also been present when a person who is extremely shy launches out in earnest prayer from their heart. As we break through this barrier of fear to pray or testify, or to speak to others about what God has done for us, we find it easier and easier to do so with genuineness and determination to honor God. And the blessings come when we honor and glorify God, for we can never out-give God. His blessings will overtake us.
We can only pray for this young man that his Christian roots will bring him back to the reality of God’s love and the power of God to change his life. But we must also remember, this man is only one of thousands who are in the same boat with the same questions. May God be merciful to them all, open their blind eyes and open their spiritually deaf ears, and bring them to the foot of the cross of Jesus Christ in genuine salvation.
FASTING
Ann Leah McDonald
Fasting is a powerful tool to receiving our petitions. It seems God loves us so much that He blesses us even when we make small sacrifices. Paul said he fasted often (IICor.11:27). He also said, “be ye therefore followers of me as I am of Christ.” Jesus answered the Pharisees and told them that when He shall be taken away, then shall His disciples fast (Matt.9:14-15).
A Bolivian brother, Marcial, told me that he can understand the Bible much more when he fasts. Also, he said he was able to overcome a bad temper by fasting. Through fasting four days he saw a miracle of salvation in his teenage son. In January of 2013 he received a truly miraculous healing after the doctors said they could do no more for him. He fasted for seven days and came down from a mountain totally healed.
A few times I’ve heard Bolivians say that without fasting we cannot rise up spiritually. I’ve noticed that when there’s a group fast, often the prayers will be more fervent, and often people can effortlessly pray longer. In these cases, the presence of God is more powerful and sometimes the worship is amazing. However, if a fast is more difficult, and seemingly ineffective, God can also bless such a fast for the extra effort put forth.
I’ve noticed the churches that fast are usually more fervent and have more growth. Their teenagers are more serious and firmer in the faith. Lately, I’ve noticed the teaching, the worship, and prayers are more edifying.
Fasting can also help us put our priorities in order. During a fast, I realized that I was neglecting some important things and getting involved with some things that weren’t worth it. We can find ourselves busy but, in reality, we are just wasting time. So I experienced that God can give us wisdom to see things more from a spiritual view and put our priorities in much better order.
In Bolivia, about a fifth of the churches have fasts once a week. I like the way they do it. Usually, they’ll pray for about half an hour to an hour. The brethren will sing for about half an hour, then someone will share the word for about an hour. They sometimes have a break for ten minutes then start again. Then sometimes they’ll go in a group to visit a sick person. Since they are fasting, these visits are usually extra profitable. There’s no strict pattern.
I encouraged a few believers to try fasting at least half a day praying and taking some quality time with God. This wasn’t as hard and a few began liking it and doing it more.
Many health books also say that it is very healthy and cleansing. It also helps the body rest and heal.
Fasts can be flexible. One main focus of mine is to try to spend more time praying and in the word. If possible, I try to find at least one good prayer partner or others that love to pray. “Again I say unto you, that if two of you shall agree on earth as touching anything that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven” (Matt.18:19). Also, it’s generally good to drink lots of water. People with health problems can do partial fasts. Daniel fasted on very simple food, vegetables for 21 days, and was blessed by God (Dan.1:12). One could eat a light, bland, healthy meal or meals, or do a vegetable juice fast. I know a church that does not just fast from meals. The members fast from the computer, or Facebook, or even desserts, hopefully finding more time with the Lord. They would try to do this for a few days or a week and said it was a sacrifice for them. I think God would probably honor this as they seek to honor Him.
Felix, a Bolivian pastor, told us recently that before he began fasting, everything seemed discouraging to him, and he was ready to quit working to help his church. However, since he’s begun fasting others have joined him, and there has been a deepening of Christ’s life in both him and the others. Also the church has been doing a lot better.
Fasting can definitely help one to develop self-control and overcome the powers of darkness that can oppress us (Matt.17:18-21).
I recently returned to Bolivia, where I had been living for 20 years, after being gone for about 9 months. I was blessed to see that many of my Christian friends were doing well. Some are even fasting and praying more. I returned to weekly fasts with them and felt renewed and encouraged. I was happy to see others that agreed that our fasts are better than holidays and yummy food. I almost always feel revived in mind, body and spirit. It seems to lift one out of the mundane to a place where grace abounds, and Jesus is the center. Often I’ve received more faith, strength, healing, clearer insight and more joy. In America and where life is easier, there seems to be more of a tendency for the flesh to pull one downward. I don’t think that there is anything more profitable that can be done or more effective to strengthen the life of Christ and put to death the carnal man. Actually, there are other effective methods like afflictions, chastisements and persecution, but fasting to me is the easier way to put the flesh to death. I believe that nothing should take the place of these weekly fasts if and when possible. Others agree with me that there seems to be more spiritual battle in these last days, and fasting helps a lot to overcome. Anyway, we look forward to these shared fasts because it’s such a blessing.
The book of Joel is a very prophetic book for these last days. “Alas for the day! For the day of the Lord is at hand, and as a destruction from the Almighty shall it come” (Joel1:15). “Blow the trumpet in Zion, sanctify a fast, call a solemn assembly” (Joel2:15). “Therefore also now, saith the Lord, Turn ye even to me with all your heart, and with fasting, and with weeping, and with mourning” (Joel2:12).
Forsaking All and Giving of Alms
“So likewise, whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath he cannot be my disciple.” (Luke14:33)
In his book True Discipleship, William MacDonald says “This is the most unpopular verse in the Bible. What is meant by forsaking all? It means an abandonment of all one’s material possessions that are not absolutely essential.” The man who forsakes all should not neglect his family but work hard to provide for the needs of his family or perhaps labor diligently in the ministry. He should live frugally and endeavor to use his time and money to serve God and others. It seems to me if one will fulfill this, he could be fulfilling the heart of the matter and loving his neighbor as himself.
Some say they can forsake all by renouncing their possessions. This could be a real way (or acceptable way) if the person is sincere, ready to truly share with others and put God first in his life. If someone has excess, they should pray, asking how they can support evangelism and bring relief to some suffering poor people.
Each person can seek how he can apply forsaking all in his own life. As William MacDonald says, “this is a very personal matter and we should not judge one another in this.” He says that these are high goals that he himself hasn’t attained, but he quotes Jim Elliot, who said, “he is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose.”
If anyone dares to literally forsake all, he will see a lot of blessing. Jesus warns about storing up treasures in Luke12:16-22,24, in the parable of the rich fool, and in the story of Lazarus the rich man. “No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other, or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon (material wealth)” (Matt.6:24). Other verses that clearly speak against riches include ITimothy6:5-12 and Luke6:24. I don’t think we have to be under condemnation if God blesses our business financially, but money should not be our priority.
Many say that this commandment in Luke14:33 was only for the disciples. However, Jesus said, “Whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple.” In Acts11:26 it says that the disciples were first called “Christians” in Antioch. The disciples seemed to be clear about this as they forsook all. Then all the believers did the same in Acts2:44,45 and Acts4:32. I have noticed that some believers that have forsaken all tend to have good understanding and more zeal. When I was 19 and forsook all, I began to be able to understand the Bible. Before, I could barely understand it at all. I can testify that God miraculously provided (especially when we were poorer) as we endeavored to work for God’s Kingdom full time for a few years, even though we had children. We never had to ask for money, never went without necessities, and never went into debt. My whole life, I have been very free of financial worries and debts. The Lord, who is very faithful, said “But seek ye first the kingdom of god and his righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you” (Matt.6:33; also read Matt.19:29).
It appears to me that this is a fundamental teaching, because Jesus spoke so clearly in Luke14:33. All the believers put it into practice, and it is backed up with many other Scriptures. “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto treasure hid in a field; the which when a man hath found, he hideth, and for joy thereof goeth and selleth all that he hath, and buyeth that field. Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a merchant man, seeking goodly pearls: “who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had, and bought it” (Matt.13:44-46).
Also in many places, Jesus speaks of forsaking all in conjunction with eternal life and the kingdom of God. Thus it is with the rich younger ruler. The rich young ruler asks, “What shall I do to inherit eternal life?” (Luke18:18) Then Jesus points him to keeping the commandments (Luke18:20). “Now when Jesus heard these things, he said unto him, Yet lackest thou one thing: sell all that thou hast, and distribute unto the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, follow me” (Luke18:22). “For it is easier for a camel to go through a needle’s eye, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God. And they that heard it said, who then can be saved?” (Luke18:25-26) “Then Peter said, Lo, we have left all, and followed thee. And he said unto them, Verily I say unto you, There is no man that hath left house or parents, or brethren, or wife, or children, for the kingdom of God’s sake, who shall not receive manifold more in this present time, and in the world to come life everlasting” (Luke18:28-30).
I think I should add here that perhaps for many believers forsaking all could be more practically applied by learning to live more frugally and being responsible to pay off debts. A wife can greatly relieve her husband’s burdens by being content with simple things and not buying costly and unnecessary items. And it is according to Scripture for everyone to “owe no man anything” (Rom.13:8). Even if one does forsake all, he could later find himself accumulating too much. “Now the goal of the commandment is charity out of a pure heart” (ITim.1:5). The main focus should be putting Jesus first and loving others. Even those who have forsaken all must continue to grow in being less selfish. If we are open, we will discover new areas of the heart that we still need to forsake including our attitudes, pride, and selfish desires. In this way we continue to use our life, time and resources to serve God and others. Someone once told me the way to have JOY is put Jesus first, others second, and yourself last. If you find your life is lacking and you want to step into a deeper walk with the Lord, you may pray about how this teaching may help you step out of the mundane and open new blessings for you and others. “My Lord, O King, according to thy saying I am thine, and all that I have. Words of absolute surrender with every child of God ought to yield himself to his Father. If our hearts are willing for that there is no end to what God will do for us, and to the blessing that God will bestow.” – Andrew Murray.
Recently, I heard that one out six people presently suffer hunger worldwide. It is wise to use wisdom in our giving. We are called to be good stewards of God’s money, so it is good to seek God for wisdom about our giving. One Godly and trustworthy ministry is “Christian Aid Ministries.” Only a surprisingly small percentage does not go straight to the poor.
Seeing that so many seem to be having financial worries and problems, I would like to include God’s solution that I believe to be helpful and effective. It’s found in Matthew6:19-34 where it speaks of trusting God for our needs, especially verses 33 and 34. It tells us not to take anxious thought for these things. “But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you” (Matt.6:33). I have seen many examples of believers that prove this is certainly true.
BRANDED FOR CHRIST
Leonard Ravenhill
In a certain sense, all men are strangers to one another. Even friends do not really know each other. To know a man, one must know all the influences of heredity and environment, as well as his countless moral choices that have fashioned him into what he is.Though we do not really know one another, tracing the course of a man's life sometimes offers rich reward, particularly when we see the great driving forces which have motivated him.
For instance, how greatly your life and mine would be benefited if we could experience the same surge of Christ-life that moved Saul of Tarsus (later called Paul) and plumb even a little the hidden depths of the meaning in his words, "I bear in my body the marks of the Lord Jesus" (Gal.6:17).
One thing is sure about these words: they were an acknowledgment of Christ's ownership. Paul belonged to the Lord Jesus – spirit, soul, and body. He was branded for Christ.
When Paul claimed to bear in his body the wounds of the Lord, he was claiming no "stigmata," as did Saint Francis of Assisi in 1224 A.D. It is not a bodily identification by outward crucifixion. He had been "crucified with Christ" (Gal.2:20).
Branded By Devotion To A Task
The marks of Paul's inward crucifixion were plainly evident. First of all, Paul was branded by devotion to a task.
If, as tradition says, Paul was only four feet six inches in height, then he was the greatest dwarf that ever lived. He out-paced, out-prayed, and out-passioned all his contemporaries. On his escutcheon was blazed: "One thing I do." He was blind to all that other men gloried in.
Pascal was bitterly criticized because, apart from the immortal soul of man, he could see no scenery anywhere worth looking at.
By the same token, the Apostle Paul might be castigated for saying not a word about Grecian art or the splendor of the Pantheon. His was a separation to spirituality.
After the Athenian clash on Mars' Hill, Paul poured contempt on the wisdom of this world, dying daily to the temptation to outwit and out-think the wise. His task was not that of getting over a viewpoint, but of overcoming the legions of hell!
Somewhere, most likely in Arabia, Paul's personality had been transfigured. Never after that was he listed as a backslider. He was too occupied with going on. It would have vexed his righteous soul to hear a congregation sing, "Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it"!
Unsponsored, unwelcomed, unloved – these made little difference to Paul. On he went, blind to every jewel of earthly honor, deaf to every siren-voice of ease, and insensitive to the mesmerism of worldly success.
Branded By Humility
Paul was also branded by humility. Moths could not corrupt this God-given robe. He never fished for praise with humility's bait, but in the long line of sinners, put himself first (where we would put him last).
The old Welsh divine said that if you know Hebrew, Greek, and Latin , do not put them where Pilate did at the head of Christ, but put them at his feet. "What things were gain to me," says Paul, "these things I count as loss for Christ."
What a heart's ease is the virtue of humility – the great joy of having nothing to lose! Having no opinion of himself, Paul feared no fall. He might have swaggered in the richly embroidered robes of the chancellor of a Hebrew school. But in the adornment of a meek and quiet spirit, he shines with more luster.
Branded By Suffering
Next, Paul was branded by suffering. Consider the thing he mentions in Romans8: famine, peril, nakedness, and sword (these belonging to acute discomfort in the body), and tribulation (perhaps of the mind), distress, persecution (of the spirit). Of all these sufferings the "little" minister partook.
This wandering Jew "made war on all that made war on God and on the children of men." This prince of preachers and his foe, the prince of hell, spared each other no beatings. It was a free-for-all and no holds barred!
Look closely at Paul – at that cadaverous countenance, that scarred body, that stooped figure of a man chastened by hunger, kept down by fasting, and ploughed with the lictor's lash; that little body, brutally stoned at Lystra and starved in many places; that skin, pickled for thirty-six hours in the Mediterranean Sea!
Add to this list danger upon danger; then multiply it with loneliness; finally, count in the 199 stripes, 3 shipwrecks, 3 beatings with rods, a stoning, a prison record, and deaths so many that count is lost.
And yet if one could add it up, all must be written off as nothing, because Paul himself thus consigned it. Listen to him: "Our light affliction, which is but for a moment." That's contempt of suffering, if you like!
Branded By Passion
Furthermore, Paul was branded by passion. A man must be in the dead center of God's will and walking the tightrope of obedience to call upon the Holy Ghost to bear witness to his witness. Yet Paul does this in Romans9:1.
Oh, that from this wondrous flame every living preacher might capture just a little light! Beatings could not cast the flame out of Paul; fastings and hunger could not kill it; misunderstanding and misrepresentation could not quench its fire; waters could not drown it; prisons could not break it; perils could not arrest its growth. On and on it burned, until life ebbed from his body.
The living Christ who was within Paul (Gal.2:20), as manifested by his soul-passion, was at once the despair of hell, the capital for enlarging the Church, and cheer to the heart of the Saviour, who was seeing the travail of His soul and was being satisfied.
Branded By Love
Paul was branded by love. When Paul experienced becoming a "man in Christ," he developed the capacity for love. Only maturity knows love. How Paul loved!
First and supremely, Paul loved his Lord. Then he loved men, his enemies, hardship, and soul-pain. And he must have loved this latter particularly, else he would have shirked prayer. Paul's love carried him to the lost, the last, the least. What scope of love! Mars' Hill with its intellectuals, the synagogues with their religious traditionalists, the market places with their prodigals – all these he yearned over and sought for his Lord. Like a mighty dynamo, love pushed him on to attempt great things for God.
Not many have prayed as this man prayed. Maybe McCheyne, John Fletcher, mighty Brainerd, and a few others have known something of the soul-and-body mastering work of intercession motivated by love.
I remember standing by the Marechale once as we sang her great hymn:
"There is a love constraining me
To go and seek the lost;
I yield, O Lord, my all to Thee
To save at any cost!"
That was not just a lovely sentiment. It cost her prison, privation, pain, and poverty.
Charles Wesley seemed to reach on tiptoe when he said, "Nothing on earth do I desire but Thy pure love within my breast!" More recently Amy Carmichael uttered the heartfelt prayer; "Give me a love that leads the way, a faith which nothing can dismay!" These men and women were certainly on the trail of the apostolic secret of soul-winning.
Great soul-winners have always been great lovers of men's souls. All lesser loves were conquered only by the greater Love. Great love to the Lover of their souls drove them to tears, to travail, and to triumph. In this evil hour, dare we love less?
Let me love Thee, love is mighty
Swaying realms of deed and thought;
By it I can walk uprightly,
I can serve Thee as I ought.
Love will soften every trial
Love will lighten every care;
Love unquestioning will follow,
Love will triumph, love will dare!
Without any of their choosing, millions will be branded for the Antichrist one day. Shall we shrink to bear in our spirits, our souls, and our bodies our Owner's marks – the marks of Jesus? Branded means pain. Do we want that? Branded means carrying the slur of the servant. Will we choose to be branded – for Christ?
LETTER FROM A READER
Editor’s note: The following letter is from a Christian in a third world country and who is living in serious poverty. The prosperity doctrine has found its way into many churches and Christian homes in poor countries, a teaching which has brought extreme consternation to many believers. Please, remember to pray for these believers that they will not be discouraged by false teaching that make them believe they are failing God because of their poverty.
Hi brothers, I need some answers to those questions. First let me told I'm gathering with few other Christians in a small house to worship God. What about the so-called doctrine of prosperity for those who like us are living in poor condition? Safe in Jesus, E.H.
Dear E.H.
We consider it a privilege to write to you and share the good news of Jesus Christ. The Gospel of Jesus Christ is certainly the most blessed message that man can hear today. That a sinner, dead in trespasses and sin and condemned to eternal death because of his transgressions, can be delivered (saved) from eternal hell, is a most blessed and welcomed truth. The good news of Jesus Christ’s sacrifice on a cruel cross, bearing your sins and mine, dying in our place so that we might be saved from judgment is what the Gospel is all about.
Jesus told Nicodemus in John3:16, “For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him, should not perish but have everlasting life.” And verse 17 reads, “For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.” From these two scriptures we find the most profound and amazing attribute of God, His love. IJohn4:8,16 states that, “God is love.” It was this divine characteristic in the very person of God that moved Him to provide a way by which man could be saved.
In the beginning, when God created the heavens and the earth, He created man in His own image. But the first man, Adam, and his wife, Eve, sinned against their creator. This transgression brought into God’s creation, death. Adam and Eve were cut off from the source of life, which was God. Sin separates us from our heavenly Father.
While Satan felt he had won all mankind of this world for himself, God determined that He would provide the means by which man can be cleansed from sin, justified and redeemed by the sacrifice of His Son. God loves you so much that He desired to save you and bless you in ways that we cannot even comprehend. Paul wrote to the church at Corinth, “But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him” (ICor.2:9). This is just one scripture that those who teach the prosperity doctrine use to support their ideas. There are many similar verses in the Bible which speak of blessings procured by Jesus for believers. The error which these prosperity teachers make is that they believe that these blessings are materialistic, such as earthly wealth and physical benefits.
It is true that there are physical blessings which God gives to believers, but whether one is given physical prosperity, health, wealth, houses and lands, or if the believer finds himself poor in this world is no sign that God has withheld His blessings from those poor. God’s ways are not our ways, and we don’t always understand why things are the way we find them. Several years ago, my wife and I travelled to the Philippines and we saw firsthand what poverty really is, and I realize that there are other areas in the world where the poverty is worse than the Philippines. I have listened to missionaries and watched their films and looked at their pictures of poverty that is beyond anything I could imagine, and many of those living in these poverty-stricken areas are Christians. If the doctrine of prosperity is a true teaching, why do Christian brothers and sisters live in such destitution? Why does not God relieve their suffering? Is it because they are not true believers? Is it because they do not have a real relationship and walk with God? Is it because they have been taught false doctrines, which have hindered their prosperity? No! Remember, God loves His people and when Jesus walked upon this globe, He lived in poverty. Scripture says that He had no place to lay His head (Matt.8:20, Luke9:58).
Scripture informs us that Jesus suffered tremendously, not only when He faced the cross but throughout His life here on this earth. He was despised and rejected of men. He was a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. He was stricken and afflicted and smitten of God. He was wounded, bruised, chastised, stipes were placed upon His back. (Isa.53). Jesus faced hunger and sorrow. He experienced weariness and fatigue. He wept over the sheep who wandered about having no shepherd (Matt.9:36). God understands our conditions in this life, and He intercedes for every believer daily.
One may ask; “Then why does He not do something to relieve poverty?”
Let’s consider Job’s trial in response to this question. Job suffered tremendously in ways that very few saints have suffered. Why did God allow it? Job did not know what was transpiring in heaven which brought about Job’s suffering. Satan had accused God of favoring Job and putting a hedge around him that kept suffering from him. Satan challenged God, and all the beings of heaven and hell watched as Satan cast a shadow on God’s holiness, His purity, and His justice. God knew Job would stand firm no matter what adversity he faced, no matter what grief he suffered; and Job honored God in a way that very few saints have.
Consider what the writer of the book of Hebrews wrote in chapter 11:35-39; “Women received their dead raised to life again: and others were tortured, not accepting deliverance; that they might obtain a better resurrection: And others had trial of cruel mockings and scourgings, yea, moreover of bonds and imprisonment: They were stoned, they were sawn asunder, were tempted, were slain with the sword: they wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins; being destitute, afflicted, tormented;” These believers had anything but prosperity, but read on and see how God honors them. “(Of whom the world was not worthy:) they wandered in deserts, and in mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth. And these all, having obtained a good report through faith.” These were genuine men and women of faith of whom this world did not merit their presence and testimony.
In spite of their sufferings, the writer states that they would not accept deliverance. They willingly faced the difficult situations in which they found themselves because they trusted God and loved Him with all their hearts.
Another View On Why Christians Live Such Diverse Lives
In Matthew 12, Jesus said that the men of Nineveh would stand up in the day of judgment and condemn His generation because they repented at the preaching of Jonah, but those of Jesus day rejected His words; they refused the message of the very Son of God.
From these things, it appears to me that God has intentionally allowed some believers to live in extreme poverty and others to live in affluent wealth. Jesus spoke of how deceitful riches are and very few rich will forsake the security of their wealth and place themselves in God’s hands fully. Poor people are much more likely to do so. In some ways then, poverty is better than riches. But on the day of judgment, there will be those who will stand up, who lived in the greatest poverty and condemn those who would attempt to make excuse for their rejection of God’s salvation because they blamed God for their situation. There will be a few faithful rich believers who will stand up and refute the claims that wealthy sinners would attempt to blame God for their riches, riches which were a snare unto them. And yet in the end, all men will be without excuse and God will be justified and glorified. The account of the rich man and Lazarus, which Jesus mentioned in Luke16:19-31, is a clear picture of the dangers of riches, and there are several other similar accounts of which Jesus spoke which declare the same message.
So don’t be deceived by those who would bring doctrines that are not scriptural, which serve only to discourage those who live in poverty. It has been my observation over the years that many more supernatural healings and miracles occur among the poor of the world than in the affluent nations. What I see in this is that we who live in affluent nations tend to trust in our prosperity and affluence rather than in God. We trust our jobs to provide our daily needs. We trust our government to keep us safe. We trust our doctors and hospitals to keep us well. Regretfully, we find it much easier to trust these things than to fully trust God. In poorer countries, they don’t have these blessings so readily available and they find themselves throwing themselves upon God and on His promises and, therefore, they see miracles and healings that are uncommon among wealthier nations. God is just in all His ways and He can use you and keep you right where you are. You need not concern yourself with the prosperity doctrine because it is not biblical. The Bible promises that God will bless us and prosper us spiritually, and this is far greater than physical blessings. May God bless you with greater spiritual blessings as you trust Him for every need in your life, whether it be physical, material, emotional, or spiritual.
The Editor