No Water Bills- 100% Pure Water
"And He shewed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding
out of the throne of God" (Rev. 22:1).
Permanent Pavement- Pure Gold
"And the street of the city was pure gold, as it were transparent glass"
(Rev. 21:21).
Everything New In The City
"And He that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And
He said... these words are true and faithful" (Rev. 21:5).
Nothing Undesirable in the City
"And there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth, neither
whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie: but they which are written
in the Lamb's Book of Life" (Rev. 21:27).
Perfect Health Conditions And Immunity From Accidents
"And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be
no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying neither shall there be any more pain:
for the former things are passed away" (Rev. 21:4).
The Best Of Society
"I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all
nations, and kindreds, and people, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb,
clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands... God Himself shall be with
them" (Rev. 7:9, 21:3).
Beautiful Music
"And I heard a voice from Heaven, as the voice of many waters, and as the
voice of a great thunder: and I heard the voice of harpers harping with their
harps: and they sung as it were a new song before the throne" (Rev. 14:2-3).
Free Transportation To The City
"In My Father's House are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have
told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And... I will come again, and receive
you unto Myself" (Jn. 14:2-3).
"The Lord Himself shall descend from Heaven with a shout... and the dead in Christ shall rise first: then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord" (1 Th. 4:16-17).
Titles to Home Obtained Free From God Through His Son, Jesus Christ
"Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other Name
under Heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved" (Acts 4:12).
"God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish but have everlasting life" (John 3:16).
"He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him (John 3:36).
Obtain A Contract Today Without Fail
"Behold, now is the accepted time... now is the day of salvation"
(2 Cor. 6:2).
"For the Lord is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance" (2 Pet. 3:9).
"For if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved" (Rom. 10:9).
The Promise To All Who Are Saved
"Now unto Him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you
faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy" (Jude 24).
"God... hath prepared for them a city" (Heb 11:16).
(Compiled by A. Van Tine)
Do you recall the young lady who, in her high school graduation speech, testified for Jesus Christ? At first the principal flat-out said, "No." Only a threatened law suit changed that. Then she was asked to rewrite her speech and tone it down. She did not. The speech was given as she had originally planned.
This clearly demonstrates once again that Christianity is under attack. She could have quoted Buddha, Confucius, or Shirley MacLaine, but not God! Others have free speech. Christians don't! Consider the following observations:
Christians (that's us) are more into tolerance than truth. Even Christians were ashamed. Truth has been sold out for popularity and acceptance. Preachers are encouraged to "tone it down" and not to "be so negative".
The speech was evangelistic. Perhaps even my wisdom would have changed it. Then it hit me. We have lost our zeal and our aggressiveness. We are totally passive, defeated. The early church was militant. We are trying to be righteous without being too religious. It is not going to happen.
The media shout "courage" when the abortionists, homosexuals, radical feminists, etc., "shove it in our faces". They whine when a little Christian girl discusses her faith and priorities.
The world is not listening to the church because the church is not talking. We have ceased preaching because we no longer have fire in our bones. Pulpits deliver feel-good sermonettes to Christianettes while the church dies. Should not someone rattle our cages?
Everything we believe in is offensive. God is offensive. Jesus is offensive. Truth is offensive. Preaching is offensive. The Bible is offensive.
Good morning, church! Is anyone reading? Let's wake up before our meeting houses become tombs. Movements began in caves and die in cathedrals.
We cannot settle for life-support Christianity. What has become of the Great Commission? Thank God for the little girl in DeSoto, Texas!
(Steven Goad, Blythe Banner)
Too many are waiting for God to do something for them rather than with them.
(Extracted and Condensed from "Evangelism", a book written by James A. Stewart in 1955...)
We are not saved to have a jolly time. We are saved to sacrifice, to suffer and to serve. There is too much singing and too little of the Word of God in our meetings. This is no time for a frivolous Christianity. We are living in tragic days. Millions have never yet heard the glorious message of salvation.
If a man is somewhat attractive, blessed with a fascinating personality and with power to influence multitudes, that man is often sought after rather than the Master. If Christ be not the centre of attraction for the multitudes, then the campaign is a spurious work of the devil and not a genuine work of God.
I refuse to entertain sinners on the way to Hell. I preach, as Richard Baxter did, as a dying man to dying men and women. I want to preach every time as though it were my last chance. I do not want souls to curse my name in the Lake of Fire and say, "Yes, I went to such-and-such a Gospel meeting, but that preacher Stewart only entertained and joked. He made Christianity a farce!"
The old-fashioned method of evangelism was to make people weep, but the modern "Hollywood" way is to make people laugh. Everybody has to have a jolly good time. Our choruses have to have jazzy tunes... We must have plenty of jokes or it would not be a good meeting. That is why there is such a woeful lack of conviction of sin in modern evangelism. The Holy Spirit cannot work in a frivolous atmosphere.
The atmosphere of these modern meetings is so much like Hollywood that one might almost expect some comedian or film star to rush on the platform. Nowadays we soft-pedal the truth because we dislike to hurt people's feelings and because we may lose the crowds.
If you were saved in a jazzy sort of atmosphere, light and frivolous, with the song leader more like a clown and the preacher glorifying himself and using fleshly effort, you will also turn out to be a jazzy frivolous Christian with no depth in your spiritual life. You will have no appetite and no real appreciation for the things of God.
Read what the Apostles said about the death of the Lord Jesus and how gloriously they wrote. They presented a majestic Saviour. Today the presentation of that majestic Lord Jesus Christ in His royal robes is reduced to the cheapness and vulgarity of a modern swing chorus. Think of those old-fashioned hymns our grandparents sang, and compare them with the frivolous, shallow choruses we sing today. Our greatest need is for a real vision of our Lord Jesus Christ in all His beauty, dignity and majesty.
In a true revival, a real work of God, there is a burden. The prophets of old called their messages burdens. In the old-fashioned evangelism, God's people had an agony over lost souls. One could feel it in the very atmosphere. In our revival meetings in Europe, the people are groaning and weeping before the service has even started. Before I begin preaching, I myself am weeping. Oh yes, that is the true way of revival. Jeremiah was the weeping prophet.
Oh, that God would give us weeping prophets once again! Oh, that He would give us a new generation of young men and women who have this agony and this burden for lost souls! I think of Paul who, in saying farewell to the elders of Ephesus, could remind his hearers that day and night, for many a long month, he had been weeping in their midst. As Mr. Whitfield used to say to his great congregations, "If you won't weep for yourselves, dear sinners on the way to Hell, then I'll have to weep for you!" Then he would break out into uncontrollable weeping, both in his preaching and during the meeting.
Paul, the greatest evangelist of all, says in his First Letter to the Corinthians, "For Christ sent me... to preach the gospel; not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of none effect. For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but to us which are saved it is the power of God" (1:17,18). Modern evangelists try to make the Gospel palatable to the unconverted. They try brighten it up, streamline it a bit, and hand it out to the unsaved in a popular way. But Paul says that the preaching of the Cross always will be foolishness to the mind of the unconverted, unregenerate man, and we must not try to make it more attractive in order to get the appreciation of men and women going to Hell. No, we must hold to the Old Book and say, "Thus saith the Lord..."
Hollywood technique has been used and sensational methods have been followed. Evangelists are using enticing words of man's wisdom and giving a great show. I make a plea for sincerity, for true evangelism, for the old-fashioned way.
I have waited... for someone to sound the alarm in God's holy mountain. The time has come when I can keep no longer silent. This loving message of warning burns within me. As one of the Puritans quaintly expressed it, "The face of error is highly painted and powdered so as to render it attractive to the unwary". Satan as an angel of light is more to be dreaded than satan as a roaring lion.
The world has invaded the churches and moulded their life and outlook. Many churches have degenerated into social clubs. Only a few seem to take but a casual interest in the salvation of the lost. The prayer meeting is almost deserted since only a few members are sanctified. So far have the churches departed from the sanctity of the early church that the phraseology of Acts 4:32-35 would have to be changed to read as follows: "And the multitude of them that professed were of hard heart and of stony soul, and every one said that all the things which he possessed were his own; and they had all things in fashion. And with great power gave they witness to their mighty preachers and the attractions of the world, and great selfishness was upon them all. And there were many among them that lacked love, for as many as were possessors of land bought more and sometimes gave a small part thereof for public good and for missions, so their names were heralded in the newspapers and distribution of praise was given to everyone, according as he desired". Satan's business is to eliminate the boundary between the Church and the world. God's high calling is for the Church is that it is to be an instrument of holiness in His mighty hand for a testimony in this present evil age (1 Cor. 3:16, Gal. 1:4).
General Booth in "World Conquest" gives, to my mind, the most eloquent burning appeal for us to accept or responsibility in this matter. "Not called!" did you say? "Not heard the call" I think you should say. He has been calling loudly ever since He spoke your sins forgiven- if you are forgiven at all- entreating and beseeching you to BE HIS AMBASSADOR. Put your ear down to the Bible, and hear Him bid you go and pull sinners out of the fire of sin. Put your ear down to the burdened agonised heart of humanity, and listen to its pitiful wail for help. Go and stand by the gates of Hell, and hear the damned entreat you to go by their father's house and bid their brothers and sisters and servants and masters not to come there. And then look the Christ in the face, whose mercy you have professed to have received, and whose words you have promised to obey, and tell Him whether you will join heart and soul and body and circumstances in this march to publish His mercy to the world.
"Get up! Shake yourself! ACT! Do something! Do it at once with all your might! Spare no pains! Never stop anymore! Read, pray, talk, sing, give! Do anything you can- everything that will make the people know anything about themselves and Heaven and Hell. God will help you.
Every believer was a worker, warrior, witness. All of the rank and file of the church preached. They preached everywhere. They preached in every conceivable place; chiefly in the open air. They did not erect ecclesiastical buildings and invite the people to come into them. Their evangelism was direct and dynamic yet simple.
We must witness in unconventional places, at unconventional times, with an unconventional approach. It is striking to notice that there is no sanctified building in the New Testament except the believer's body. The house of God is no longer composed of brick and mortar, as God does not dwell in temples made with men's hands.
The Christian leaders of the 18th Century preached everywhere. If the pulpit of a parish church was open to them, they gladly availed themselves of it. If it could not be obtained, they were equally ready to preach in a barn. In the field or by the roadside, in a village green or in a market-place, in lanes or in alleys, wherever hearers could be gathered the spiritual reformers of the last century were ready to speak to them about their souls.
Our palatial buildings, our large membership rolls, our high-salaried pastors and popular evangelists are no proof of dynamic Christianity. The early church had none of these elements of success. No sincere believer can compare conditions in our churches today with those of early Christianity without being broken down before God. A holy alarm must be sounded at this midnight hour!
Persecution never did the Church of God any harm, but compromise with the world has always robbed it of the power of its purity. There was a time when, because of its martial and uncompromising spirit, the Church found itself living in the catacombs. The Church of the catacombs was more consistent and majestic than the Church on the stage with popular footlights. When the Church settles down to the comforts of a religious club and forgets its holy crusade, it abides alone.
Christian editors know well that if they devoted their magazines entirely to the deep things of God, the circulation would immediately begin to drop. The papers that devote themselves exclusively to Bible exposition and devotional messages can hardly keep going financially, so small is the interest. Our Christian publishing houses well know that Christian novels and popular books, by popular leaders, sell; and that deep, spiritual books remain unread. How few of the magazines today drive us to our knees in adoration or intercession?
When a prophet is accepted and deified, his message is lost. The prophet is only useful so long as he is stoned as a public nuisance, as he calls us to repent, and disturbs our comfortable routine, breaking our respectable idols, and shattering our conventions.
"Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution" (2 Tim. 3:12). Throughout the history of the world, faithfulness to God has always cost men dearly (Heb. 11:36-38). In the Old Testament times, the prophets who spoke in the Name of the Lord were persecuted. In the Christian era, many thousands of Christians have been killed for their faith. All of the Lord's apostles, except John, died as martyrs.
Many Christians were burned alive. Others were beheaded, drowned, crucified, or cut to pieces for Jesus' sake. Christians are still persecuted and even martyred in some countries.
At times, when Christians were assembled in their churches, the emperor Maximin sent soldiers to pile wood around the buildings and burn them with the Christians inside. Before lighting the fire, the soldiers would proclaim that anyone who would come out and sacrifice to the god Jupiter would be saved. The Christians answered that they knew nothing of Jupiter, that Christ was Lord and God and that for Him they would live or die. It was a miracle of grace that among the thousands of Christians threatened in this way, not one forsook his God to sacrifice to Jupiter. Together they sang and praised God while the smoke of their sacrifice ascended like a cloud to heaven. This happened around the year AD 237. (The Martyr's Mirror)
Gordon Johnson is busy in ministry to schools around New Zealand. He has shown his slides of Israel 213 times this year. He is also a grandfather again, for the third time. Through his witness he has also led many to become God's children by faith in Christ.
John Ighodaro reports that the SJBS ministry is reaching throughout Nigeria and other African countries: We continue to reach the lost souls until Jesus comes. Literature and Bibles are needed to reach Muslims in all the towns and villages in Nigeria. (SJBS Outreach, PO Box 4953, Oshodi, Lagos, Nigeria, West Africa.)
Shane Murphy in Romania shares that after prayer and fasting new ministry teams have been established, in children's ministry, prayer, outreach, new Christians work, and helping the poor.
Max Glynn of Victoria reports of a recent visit to Go Ye Missions Children's Home in India: You can see the love and care shown to about thirty children. You can hear them sing about the goodness of Jesus. They go about their homework in the evenings with happiness in their hearts. They tell you how their life has changed- before coming to Go Ye Missions Home they had a hopeless future. But now everything has changed. At present only a handful of children have sponsors. Yet the responsibility for clothing the naked, taking in the strangers and feeding the hungry rests with us. Imagine Christians endeavouring to excuse themselves from Christ's commands by explaining that they couldn't afford sixty odd cents per day. I challenge all who read this to take Jesus' words seriously (Matt. 25:31-46).
Bro Kulandaivelu (29 Water Tank Rd, Nagercoil, India 629-001) runs Go Ye Missions, and its various ministries. He is interested in visiting Australia to come and share about the work they are doing.
Steve & Cheryl Lewin are caretaking a youth refuge and are active in local church ministry at Whalan, NSW.
Bro George from Geraldton testifies that the Christian school there now has almost 200 students, and is gaining a good name and recognition in the town.
Clif from Innisfail says that he has been writing Christian poetry since he was converted in 1939.
Sis Helen from Gilgandra shares that she is 78 years young, with 17 grandchildren, and 2 "great grandies". She's just joined our Fair Dinkum family of readers.
Jane Betts is actively working in and around Legazpi City in the Philippines, particularly in children's ministry work.
Gordon Nagas, an active Aboriginal minister recently became very ill and was called home suddenly. Born the son of a slave, he went out as the son of the King. Over a thousand people were at the funeral, and he had a police escort to the graveside (Cawkwells, Toowoomba, Qld).
God give us men, sincere and earnest
Through and through.
Whose consciences are steady,
Strong and true.
Men who will stand bravely for the right
Though worlds may fall;
Men who will gladly serve the Lord
And give their all.
Men who with truth can look the world
Right in the eye.
Who neither brag nor run or flag or flinch,
But ever try
To show great courage without ever
Shouting it abroad;
Who by their spiritual example
Will show us God.
Men who know their place and fill it
Right cheerfully.
Men who will work for the common good
Unselfishly.
In whom the current of eternal life
Runs rich and strong;
Who ever strive for truth and right
And spurn the wrong.
God give us men who know their worth
And never shirk.
Never too proud for a humble place,
Not dodging work.
God give us men who will unite
In the common task.
Who'll pray and wait then do the thing
That God would ask.
(The Evangelist)
An amusing story tells of an energetic new Christian who wished to communicate his faith but lacked the language to do so.
He knocked on the first door, and when the man of the house answered, the well-meaning witness asked, "Are there any Christians here?"
"No," responded the man, "the Christians live down the road. We are the Joneses."
"You don't understand," stammered the caller, "I mean, are you lost?"
"O, no," came the quick reply, "we've lived here 25 years and know the area very well."
"Well, what I mean...," pressed the embarrassed novice, "is, where will you be on the judgment day?"
"I don't know. What day is it?"
"Well, we don't really know. It could be one day or another."
"Be sure to let us know," came the sincere answer. "I'm sure my wife will want to go both days".
Communicating our faith can often be a frustrating and defeating problem. Often we hear sermons on the necessity of witnessing, but when we go out to try it, we not only come away fruitless; we are confused and anxious. How do we get started? What do we talk about it? Words seem to come hard, and thoughts often cannot filter through our fears. (From Sword of the Lord, quoting "Effective Illustrations from Everyday Living" by C.R. Hembree)
There was a mixed reaction from readers of last issue. On the whole, people were supportive. Thanks to all our readers who have written or phoned to encourage us.
While I am thoroughly convinced of the Biblical command to preach the Gospel, I am sure that many do not even know what the Gospel is, nor do they comprehend sound doctrine. All is superficial. Let us remember the Biblical command to repent and believe on the Lord Jesus; ie., total surrender to Him. Sinners are dead in sin and will not respond to the Gospel unless a Sovereign God gives them life and enables them to believe. This is sober, pride withering truth (Malcolm, Maitland, SA).
On their way to Hell. Drugs, free sex, alcohol and drunkenness, new age, tarot cards, numerology, star signs, babies born out of wedlock, homosexuality, idol worship, alternative lifestyle. Satan is having his fling. Millions of people are going to eternal death. A life without God, a life without Christ, without good news, and light, righteousness, and holiness. Eternal damnation! Now is the time to go out into the highways and byways and bring the sinners home. (Br Bond, Morphett Vale, SA)
Everything that can be shaken is being shaken. Don't be afraid to take a stand. God is shaking His church. (Austin, Alice Springs, NT)
When I picture our Lord looking down upon this earth and seeing what has become of His church, His people... Oh the anguish is almost too much to bear. My heart breaks and my soul weeps for His children... (Debbie, Para Hills, SA)
The Bible is bread for daily use, not cakes for special occasions.
By the knowledge of His truth we are set free forever (Bill, Childers, Qld).
There is no doubt that we are living in an evil day. It is a day when it seems that even the "very elect" are being deceived. No longer is the battle outside the ranks of Bible believers, the reality is the battle is from within the order of professing fundamentalism. It would appear that satan found out he could not destroy the church externally by persecution, so he is now at work to destroy the church internally by means of apostasy in the pulpit and apathy in the pew. Satan is not fighting Christianity in this evil day- he has joined it. (Al Helms, Boyne Island, Qld)
Pastor Richard Ward (phone: 07-55963123) offers a ministry to believers of "Testing the spirits whether they be of God" (1 John 4:1).
God's love may not keep you from trials but it will keep you through trials. (From the Olsons of King City, OR, USA).
The world needs a genuine spiritual awakening, with a clear, challenging Gospel message, a deep awakening of sin, calling us back to Calvary with souls being truly saved and discipled, and a call to holiness, righteousness, repentance, purity, obedience to God and faithfulness to Him. We also need Christians to "come apart and be separate". In a lot of instances, there is no separateness nor coming apart, out of sin and the world, and as a result many Christians are totally indistinguishable from unbelievers/unsaved. There appears no line of demarcation. If the world can't see a difference in the people of God, then why should they desire to come to God- why not just stay as they are? (Sis Holloway, Medina, WA)
Minds must be agitated that would otherwise sleep. We will continue to bring the truth, for dispute and examination, even with scorn heaped upon it. Souls are to be saved and we have much work to do (Josephine, Adelaide, SA).
We are living in truly exciting times. We are seeing the devil starting to gain full momentum within the church. The Apostle Paul's warnings are to be taken ever so seriously now. I know just how Jesus felt when he surveyed Jerusalem and wept for her. The cataclysmic situation the AOG and its hierarchy find themselves in is one where to keep face they cannot turn back and admit they were deceived, so the deception will snowball, and we will see a big falling away from the church. Come quickly Lord Jesus. (Bro Norm, Elizabeth, SA)
The Lord is calling His church to purity and holiness and each of us must play our part and not be entangled with compromise to please the wayward few (Sis Mabel, Minnipa, SA).
We should be teaching SURRENDER OF LIFE, not seeking power. (Br Bob, Maryborough, Qld)
There is a worldwide hunger for God at this time. People do not want religious writings but they do want TRUTH... to KNOW GOD (Des, Buderim, Qld).
One of the Pope's titles is Dominium Deum Nostrum Papam, which means "our Lord God the Pope". Malachi Martin, Catholic author of "The Keys of This Blood" says that the Pope believes he has complete authority over every person on the planet, whether they are Catholics or not. The Pope is waiting for Mary to perform miraculous signs and install him as ultimate absolute world leader over a pluralistic religion. Martin believes that "all religions must fuse into one great religion- one mega-religion" devoted to the worship of "Mary". (Sent by an unidentified reader from Bundaberg, Qld)
Pope John Paul II has a dream for the new millennium. It goes like this: It is the year 2000 and the leaders of the world's great Judeo-Christian-Islamic religions have gathered in the Sinai desert... At the appropriate time, John Paul II accompanied by the leaders of the Jewish faith, other Christians and Islamic imams and muftis would climb Mt Sinai where God passed on laws to Moses to mark a new age of spiritualism for mankind... The Pope according to his closest advisers, strongly believes that there will be a powerful sign from God to mark the third millennium since Christ's birth. (Adelaide Advertiser, 6/4/96).
Too late to repent.
Too late to receive salvation.
Too late to claim eternal life.
Do you have a friend who needs to be saved?
Do you preach salvation to your friends and relatives?
Do you want to see them in eternity?
Some will not believe- some will scoff and turn away from you,
some will become hostile and tell you to get on your way
- but, thank God, some will believe.
(Rod, Morphett Vale, SA)
If everybody knew
The secret thoughts and feelings
Of everything I do
Could they see the likeness
Of Christ in me each day
Could they hear Him speaking
In every word I say?
Could I be called a Christian
If my faith I did not show
If I do not go to places
Where the Lord would have me go
If I do not love His truth
If I do not guard His trust
If I cherish more than Jesus
My greatest hidden lust?
To obey all He's commanded
To do all that He said
To be His true disciple
To place no confidence in the flesh
To glory in Christ Jesus
It's He Who justifies
To find your life you must lose it
To live, you first must die.
Let every man examine his own life,
"Could I be called a Christian?"
Could I be called a Christian
And believe not His Holy Word
If I take Him as my Saviour
And then refuse Him as my Lord
If I could not love the outcast
And am not burdened for the lost
If I fail to deny myself
And each day take up my cross?
(Submitted by Ron, Murray Bridge, SA)
The Baptist Union has set up a task force to "examine the possibility of ordaining gay and lesbian pastors and school teachers". God's Word states very clearly sodomy is sin, full stop. (Grapevine, 12/96)
If proposed laws are passed in South Africa, abortions will be allowed up until full term. (Frontline Fellowship)
A homosexual has authored a book in America called "Daddy's Wedding", designed for children aged 2 to 6. Illustrations include a homosexual kiss. (CVN, 10/96)
The Convention on the Rights of the Child has been ratified in Australia. It effectively removes parental rights, powers and control. Parents who don't conform could be subjected to legal action. (Australian Family Association)
Former TV evangelist, Jim Bakker: "We're teaching people how to get rich in the pulpits today, and it's wrong." (Pulpit Helps, 7/96)
British and Japanese scientists are experimenting to make an artificial womb. Foetuses would be suspended in artificial amniotic fluid in acrylic tanks and grown outside a woman's body to full term. The scientists have already brought an immature goat foetus to full term and oxygenated its blood. (Salt Shakers, 9/96)
The Uniting Church of Australia's sexuality report, released in May 96 approves of pre-marital sex, homosexuality, and lesbianism. (Diakrisis, 8/96)
A Universal Biometrics Card is planned to be introduced by governments worldwide. This high tech computerised system of linked databases, and "smart" ID cards will enable control and surveillance of every living human being. It is slated to be fully in operation by the year 2000. (Flashpoint, 9/96)
160,000 Christians will die for their faith in 1996. As Western believers continue to enjoy a "comfortable Christianity", fellow believers continue to pay a high price for their faith in many countries around the world. (Global Impact)
An ecumenical "Melbourne Pastors Network" has commenced. Its stated vision: "One church in our city". (Sis Di, Sunshine, Vic)
"Pope says we may descend from monkeys", reads the front page headline of the Italian newspaper, Il Giornale, following comments made by the Pope that evolution is compatible with the Christian faith. (Advertiser, 26/10/96)
Mecca is a city on seven hills. This is interesting in the light of Rev. 17:9. (Sis Henrietta, Toowoomba, Qld)
Someday- I'm going down the street
And sit and chat with those whose feet
Have had to rest and pause a while
Before they travel that last mile-
Well- someday.
Someday- a cake or pie I'll bake
And with a cheery smile I'll take
It to a home where there is need-
Just folks, of quite a different creed-
Well- someday!
Someday- a letter I will send
To that distant, lonely friend.
I'll tell her every little thing
That will joy and comfort bring-
well- someday.
Someday- a quiet place I'll seek
Where I can hear my Father speak,
where I can listen undisturbed
To His precious guiding Word-
Someday.
Someday- I'll surely take the time
To tell some soul of love divine,
Of salvation full and free,
Meant for them as well as me-
Someday.
Someday- I said it long ago.
The days slip by, and well I know
"Someday" will never come until
Today bends to my Father's will.
Why not today?
(Copied; quoted in Sword of the Lord)
General William Booth, founder of the Salvation Army, said in the years before Word War I, "There is a false belief abroad that only gentle, tender, loving persuasions are in harmony with the New Testament times. It is all a mistake! Never in the world's history were fearless, resolute, whole-souled prophets called for and needed more than today. This age needs Jeremiahs to tell the truth, the whole truth, please or displease, dungeon or no dungeon, mire or no mire!" (Pulpit Helps)
Keep about your work- that God has given you. Do not flinch because the lion roars; do not stop to stone the devil's "dogs"; do not fool away your time chasing the devil's "rabbits". Do your work. Let the liars lie, let the devil do his worst. But see to it that nothing hinders you from fulfilling the work that GOD has given YOU.
Keep at your work. Let your aim be as steady as a star. You may be assaulted, wronged, insulted, slandered, wounded and rejected. You may be abused by foes, forsaken by friends, and despised and rejected of men. But see to it, with steadfast determination, with unfaltering zeal, that you pursue the great purpose of your life and object of your being until at last you can say, "I have finished the work which Thou gavest me to do" (Author unknown).
"Well, here I am Lord; You said, 'Take up your cross', and I'm here to do it. It's not easy, you know, this self-denial thing. I mean to go through with it though; yes, Sir. I'll bet You wish more people were willing to be disciples like me. I've counted the cost and surrendered my life and ... it is not an easy road.
"You mind if I look over these crosses? I'd kind of like a new one. I'm not fussy, you understand... I was wondering are there any that are vinyl padded? I'm thinking of attracting others, you see. And if I could show them a comfortable cross I am sure I could win a lot more. Got to keep up with the population explosion and all. And I need something durable so I can treasure it always. Oh, is there one that's sort of flat so it would fit under my coat? One should not be too obvious.
"Funny, there doesn't seem to be much choice here. Just that coarse, rough wood. I mean, that would hurt! Don't You have something more distinctive, Lord? I can tell You right now, none of my friends are going to be impressed by this shoddy workmanship! They'll think I'm a nut or something! And my family would be mortified!
"What's that? It is either one of these or forget the whole thing! But Lord, I want to be Your disciple! I mean, just being with You, that is all that counts, but life has to have a balance too ... but You don't understand, nobody lives that way today! Who is going to be attracted by this self-denial bit? I mean, I want to, but let's not overdo it! Start getting radical like this and they'll have me off to the funny farm- know what I mean?
"I mean being a disciple is challenging and exciting and I want to do it but I have some rights, too, you know! Now let's see. No blood, OK? I just can't stand the thought of that, Lord?
"Now where do you suppose He went?" (Pulpit Helps)
(Deut. 10:12-13, 2 Cor. 5:9-11)
In reading through the Scriptures, I have become aware of a clear factor present in every movement of God- and clearly absent from our day- fear of the Lord!
In both the Old and New Testaments when God revealed Himself to His people- a holy awe, often a prostrating before God. There was a deep awareness of His holiness, power, and sovereignty, and of man's sin.
The prophets trembled before the Lord (Ex. 3:5, 6). David feared the Lord exceedingly, and the early church feared the Lord (Acts 2:43, 5:11, 9:31).
Paul instructed the early churches:
1. "Perfecting holiness in the fear of the Lord" (2 Cor. 7:1).
2. "Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling" (Phil. 2:12).
3. "...in singleness of heart, fearing God" (Col. 3:22).
The Scriptures clearly connect the fear of God with sin. Those who fear God forsake sin: "Fear the Lord, and depart from evil" (Prov. 3:7). Those who practice sin have no fear of God before their eyes (Rom. 3:18). It is the one who fears the Lord who is greatly blessed of God (Ps. 15:4, 25:14, 31:19, 33:18, 34:7, 60:4, 85:9, 103:11, 112:1, 128:1, 145:19, 147:11).
The prophet Jeremiah said God Himself would "put my fear in their hearts" (Jer. 32:40).
And Paul urged the believers at Corinth: "Let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God" (2 Cor. 7:1).
This great deterrent to sin and motivation to holiness seems to be mostly absent from God's people today. Sin runs rampant in too many Christians' lives, including leaders- adultery, divorce, anger, bitterness, church splits, lack of love, conflict, and lack of reconciliation.
The Scriptures reveal God's wrath against "all ungodliness" (Rom. 1:18), and God's most severe judgments against Israel, Judah, and Jerusalem- His people (Lk. 19:41-48). God was angered against the leaders of His people.
The salt has lost its saltiness. The light no longer dispels the darkness. There is no deterrent to sin in the land. The nation is moving closer and closer to God's judgment. God's people do not grieve over their sin, do not weep before God, and live with no sense of impending judgment.
(Henry Blackaby)
Barbara Marx Hubbard, revered New Age leader, writes in her book, "Teaching from the Inner Christ" how the human race will soon experience a day of "Planetary Pentecost":
"An uncontrollable joy will ripple through the thinking layer of the earth... From within, all sensitive persons will feel the joy of the force, flooding their systems with love and attraction... as this joy flashes through the nervous systems of the most sensitive people on earth, it will create a pschomagnetic field of empathy, which will align the next wave of people in synchrony everywhere on earth."
Other promoters of such supernatural joy include New Age author Stanislav Gorf, African Kung Bushmen, Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh, Ramakrishna, Swami Baba Muktananda, Yan Xin, and promoters of Latihan. (Warren Smith, Spiritual Counterfeits Project)
We must contend earnestly for THE FAITH once delivered to the saints (Jude 3), whether we are popular with men or not. My aim, as I believe is yours also, is to hear on THAT DAY, our Lord and Master, Jesus Christ, say "Well done thou good and faithful servant". I pray that God's Holy Spirit will enlighten the "Eyes" of His true people everywhere that only truth will fill their hearts and minds. (Bro Bryan, Kalgoorlie, WA).
There are so many people who believe they are Christians and yet have unknowingly embraced a form of mysticism. They have chosen a counterfeit. Many take offence. They have little knowledge and that's the way they like it. Contend earnestly for THE faith. Expose error and preach the Truth regardless of the consequences (Bro Moreno, Victoria).
We must go to the Word of God and check it out in there. If it is not in God's Word then forget it. The Word of God is the plumbline or blueprint for our whole life with all its needs and requirements. We must be open and receptive, teachable, willing, and obedient to be doers of it. (Sis Leonie, Medina, WA)
There will only be a remnant- all any of us who truly fear our Lord can do is to try to give the unpolluted pure Word and try to save as many souls, and warn them. (Sis Brampton, NSW)
We need to be very discerning in these last days (Neil, Bucasia, Qld).
Rod from Adelaide comments that some churches focus on bums on seats and money in the bank. Massive worship and praise (1 hour, 45 minutes), and confusing preaching (7 minutes). People re-saved each week. The Lord Jesus is outside looking through the window, yelling out 'Let me in!' Time is short. Tricia and myself have led eleven people to the Lord this year and Jesus has saved the unsaved, the ones who had never known Christ. As I watch the joy in those lives unfold, I cannot help but remember watching the endless sundays of watching the saved being saved over and over again, each Sunday in the Pentecostal church that we were in. There was no joy, just fear and continual craving for attention. They were lost and unloved, crying out to God for a friend to knock on the door of their home and share a meal with them. Sadly it never happened, and many of them drifted away again. If the Body of Christ (the Church) doesn't care then I have to ask are they really Christians? The time is approaching when we Christians are going to be accountable. We are going to have to stand up and be counted, and it will be sooner than we think.
I do not understand how otherwise apparently intelligent men and women can be so deceived, and even deceitful themselves. The pastors are besotted, befuddled and bewitched by the new wave of experiences. I believe the "great apostasy" which Jesus warned of is with us, and of course WCC is in it up to their clerical collars. Our new pastors are genuine, caring, and importantly preach the Word Biblically and without any dramatics or shouting, and consequently the Word is absorbed. (Joyce, Adelaide, SA)
It is hard for the sheep when the wolves are on full time staff. It is sad that pastors and elders are refusing to discipline erring believers for the sake of keeping the peace, albeit a false one. God chastens those that He loves (Mark, Stanwell, Qld).
Note: Thank God for the many pastors who do faithfully shepherd their flocks, and faithfully feed them God's Word. They deserve our earnest prayers and support- Editor.
John 3:18- "He that believeth not is condemned already". They are already under a sentence of condemnation to Hell... on the very brink of eternity. While they continue to reject Christ, every unconverted man properly belongs to Hell; that is his place. The wrath of God burns against them. The pit is prepared. The furnace is now hot, ready to receive them. The flames do now rage and glow. The glowing flames of the wrath of God. The pit hath opened its mouth under them.
The devil stands ready to fall upon them and seize them as his own, at what moment God shall permit him. They belong to him; he has their souls in his possession and under his dominion.
All of you who never passed under a great change of heart by the mighty power of the Spirit of God upon your souls; all you who were never born again and made new creatures and raised from being dead in sin, to a state of new and before altogether unexperienced light and life, are in the hands of an angry God. O sinner, consider the fearful danger you are in! It is a great furnace of wrath, a wide and bottomless pit.
This is the day of mercy. You may cry now with some encouragement of obtaining mercy. But when once the day of mercy is passed, your most lamentable cries and shrieks will be in vain. You will be wholly lost. You must suffer it for all eternity. There will be no end to this horrible misery. Tormented in Hell. In the flames of Hell. Feel and bear the fierceness of His wrath...
How dreadful is the state of those who are daily and hourly in danger of this great wrath and infinite misery! But this is the dismal case of every soul that has not been born again, however moral and strict, sober and religious, they may otherwise be.
Their case is past all hope. They are crying in extreme misery and perfect despair. But here you are in the land of the living, blessed with Bibles and Lord's days and ministers, and have an opportunity to obtain salvation. What would not those poor, damned, hopeless souls give for one day's opportunity such as you now enjoy?
And now you have an extraordinary opportunity, a day wherein Christ has thrown the door of mercy wide open and stands calling and crying with a loud voice to poor sinners, a day wherein many are flocking to Him. Many who were very lately in the same miserable condition that you are in are now in a happy state with their hearts filled with love to Him who has loved them and washed them in His own blood, and rejoicing in hope of the glory of God.
Let every one who is yet out of Christ and hanging over the pit of Hell, whether they be old men and women, or middle aged, or young people, or little children, now hearken to the loud calls of God's Word and providence. Men's hearts harden, and their guilt increases at such a day as this, if they neglect their souls.
Let everyone who is out of Christ now awake and flee from the wrath to come. The wrath of Almighty God is now undoubtedly hanging over every unregenerate sinner. Let every one flee out of Sodom: "Escape for your lives, look not behind you, escape to the mountain, lest you be consumed."
(Extracts from Sermon by Jonathan Edwards, preached in 1741)
So much of what we intend to do is going to be done tomorrow. In a sense it can be said that tomorrow will be the most wonderful day in history, for that is the day when most of us are going to begin to do better.
But today is the "tomorrow" that you looked at yesterday. You could begin today to do better and be better... Why put it off? You'll never find a better day than today to begin to be what you've always wanted to be; to begin to live your dream instead of just dreaming. Don't allow your desires to become museum pieces! (Sword of the Lord)
As his life was slowly ebbing away
One last prayer he had time to say
Lord, throughout my life
You have been my Friend
And I know that this will not be the end.
Though satan has tried to lead me astray
Your guiding light has always shown the way.
Through tear-filled eyes
Under storm laden skies
I laid my friend to rest
For his country he had done his best.
(Mervyn, Ipswich, Qld)
Adam Thompson of Cincinnati, Ohio, near the middle of the Eighteenth Century, was the first American to fill a bathtub. Those who heard about it became alarmed. Doctors predicted rheumatism and inflammation of the lungs from such a practice. Some American cities put a ban on bathtubs and even refused permission to do the new "bathtub exercise". But today a home is not complete without a bathtub or shower. The crowd was wrong.
England once had a law forbidding a vehicle from exceeding four miles an hour. This law was amended so that if anyone desired to travel this fast they were to have a person going before them with a red flag warning the people of the danger. But today we have transportation travelling at 100 times that speed. Once again the crowd was wrong.
Musicians and critics groaned and laughed at the music Richard Wagner wrote. But his compositions have transformed the music world. The crowd was wrong.
Westinghouse was called a fool for daring to think that he could stop a railroad train with wind. But now the Westinghouse air brakes are used the world over. The crowd was wrong.
Through tons of waste material Madame Curie sorted to get radium. "What is radium?" the crowd asked laughingly. Today it is a valuable asset in fighting disease. The laughing crowd was wrong.
For eleven years Goodyear and his wife worked on vulcanizing rubber. Everyone laughed at Goodyear but today, wherever rubber is named, you hear the name, Goodyear. The crowd was mistaken.
Publishers told Zane Grey that he had no writing ability. But today, many years after his death, his books are still being read. The crowd was wrong.
Could the crowds of today be wrong? In the world's attitude to gain material things. Could you be wrong? What is your attitude toward a loving God and the claims of His Son upon your life? What is your attitude towards the forgiveness of your sins against a Holy God and an eternal life He offers to you here and now?
You can be wrong, and the crowd can be wrong, about many things in the world... but you dare not be wrong about Christ. Through faith in Him you can be saved just now where you are and as you are. Your sins can be forgiven and the peace of God can flood your heart and soul: "As many as received Him, to them gave He power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on His name" (John 1:12).
Much of the crowd today mistakes religion for salvation through Christ. The heathen have religion but are lost. Salvation, pure, complete, and eternal, is available through the Lord Jesus Christ.
Are you going to choose to follow the crowd and be wrong, or are you going to choose to follow God's Son and be right? (From tract by Nathaneal Olson, kindly sent by Helen from Gilgandra, NSW)
King Ahab of Israel and King Jehoshaphat of Judah once held a council to determine whether they should engage the King of Syria in battle. Some 400 prophets were consulted, and they all advised the monarchs to forth to war.
But Jehoshaphat was not satisfied. There was too much uniformity in the advice of the prophets. He doubted that they spoke for God but suspected them of desiring to please King Ahab- to be on the popular side.
Jehoshaphat inquired of Ahab, "Is there not a prophet of the Lord besides, that we might inquire of him?" (1 Kings 22:7).
Ahab replied that there was one man, Micaiah, the son of Imlah, "by whom we may enquire of the Lord". Micaiah had a reputation for knowing the truth and being willing to state it, whether it was popular or not.
When Ahab sent for him, he said boldly, "As the Lord liveth, what the Lord saith unto me, that will I speak" (1 Kings 22:14).
Here was a man who could not be intimidated. He could not be influenced by flattery or bribery. He lived so close to the Lord that he felt he knew the truth and spoke it clearly. He was not swayed by what he thought would be popular or by the desire to conform with what others were saying. Four hundred other prophets had advised Ahab to go forth to battle, but Micaiah told him the truth: he would be killed and his people scattered.
There are not many Micaiahs in any age, but there is certainly a great dearth of them in our time. Most of us are so eager to be on the popular side- to speak and do as others. We like togetherness. We want to conform. We are afraid of standing alone. We squelch our convictions and wait to hear what others are saying before we speak. We are so afraid we shall make ourselves conspicuous by expressing views at variance with the majority.
Does a society of that kind ever progress? Moses was not popular when he brought the Ten Commandments down from Mount Sinai. He was anything but popular somewhat earlier when he announced the plagues upon Egypt and asked Pharaoh for permission to lead the Hebrews out of the land.
Joshua did not wait to see what others would do before announcing, "But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord" (Josh. 24:15b).
Luther stood conspicuously alone when he nailed his 95 theses to the church door and defied the Council of Worms.
Men and women have gone to the stake and to the lions in defense of the truth as they saw it.
Had Columbus been unwilling to stand alone, he would have never discovered America.
Galileo defied the authorities of his day when he asserted that the earth went around the sun.
The founding fathers of our country (Ed: the USA) were a small minority when they wrote the Declaration of Independence.
In the early years of our history, statesmen took their stand on the basis of principles and sought a following. Today few statesmen know what they think about public issues until after they have taken a series of polls. After they know what is popular, they formulate their policies.
Would we ever have become a great nation; or, indeed, would we ever have won our independence, if the men who have preceded us had not had the courage to stand alone, if need be, for what they thought was right?
How refreshing the words of Micaiah: "As the Lord liveth, what the Lord saith unto me, that will I speak".
(Article from Sword of the Lord of 8/3/96)
On that otherwise quiet Sunday morning, a sudden alert heralded the approach of Nazi aircraft from several directions. Forty from one direction, sixty from another, followed by a formation of eighty planes. This was only the beginning. Aircraft continued to fill the sky from every direction.
As each Nazi formation neared the English coast, a British squadron would rise to meet it. Since there were only 25 squadrons assigned to the 11th fighter Command defending southern England, soon all of them were in the air. Tension grew in the underground shelter...
Then inexplicably, the discs (markers) on the wall chart began to move eastward. The great Nazi air flotilla had turned back. With 185 of their aircraft downed in flames, they were in retreat! Miraculously, against all logistical problems, the Royal Air Force had won the battle!
There was no natural explanation for the outcome of this Nazi attack during the Battle of Britain, but intelligence officers who interrogated downed Nazi airmen heard this question from at least three different men: "Where did you get all the planes you threw into the battle over Britain?"
The British force was inferior, but the Germans claimed they were outnumbered by the British planes they saw.
Again, the British, as a nation, were praying for the safety of their country and their military forces. from 1940 until the end of the war, the people throughout the Commonwealth observed a silent moment of prayer at 9PM each day.
An imprisoned Nazi intelligence officer told his captors: With the striking of your Big Ben clock each evening at nine, you used a secret weapon which we did not understand. it was very powerful and we could find no countermeasure against it.
(Selected: sent by Sis Dorothy, Toowoomba, Qld)
We must defend the Faith; for what would have become of us if our fathers had not maintained it? If confessors, reformers, martyrs and covenanters had been cowardly to the name and faith of Jesus, where would have been the churches of today? Must we not play the man as they did?
It is very pretty, is it not, to read of Luther and his brave deeds? Of course everybody admires Luther! Yes, yes; but you do not want anyone else to do the same today.
When you go to the zoological gardens, you all admire the bears; but how would you like a bear at home or a bear wandering loose about the street? You tell me that it would be unbearable, and no doubt you are right.
So we admire a man who is firm in the Faith, say four hundred years ago; the past ages are a sort of bear-pit or iron cage for him. But such a man today is a nuisance and must be put down. Call him a narrow-minded bigot, or give him a worse name if you can think of one. Yet imagine that in those ages past, Luther, Zwingli, Calvin and their compeers had said, "The world is out of order; but if we try to set it right, we shall only make a great row and get ourselves into disgrace. Let us go to our chambers, out on our nightcaps, and sleep over the bad times; and perhaps when we awake, things will have grown better."
Such conduct upon their part would have entailed upon us a heritage of error. Age after age would have gone down into the infernal deeps, and the pestiferous bogs of error would have swallowed all.
These men loved the Faith and the name of Jesus too well to see them trampled on. Note that we owe them, and let us pay to our sons the debt we owe to our fathers. It is today as it was in the reformers' days. Decision is needed.
People have died in peculiar- almost unbelievable- ways.
Harold Lee Duncan was mowing his lawn. His wife and two children were watching. Suddenly, Duncan grabbed his left side, walked a few steps, staggered, collapsed, and then died. A half inch piece of wire, no bigger than the lead of a pencil, had been flicked into his heart by the blades of the power mower he was using. His death was sudden.
A twenty four year old newspaper reporter, Jost Lehmann, put a bottle on top of his head and asked another man to shoot it off. J. Poetschke took aim with a .38 calibre revolver, pulled the trigger and missed. The bullet penetrated the head of Jost Lehmann. He died on the spot and the "William Tell" episode ended in tragedy.
A young girl named Theresa Conn, was playing hide and seek with her dog. She hid a ball on the table and waited for her dog to find it. The large collie dog jumped up on the table to get the ball. In doing so, the steel table was upset and crashed on Theresa's head. She was pronounced dead on arrival at hospital. The dog had unwittingly killed her.
Carlos Umbros was fishing in Pampanga, in the Philippines. Police reported that he opened his mouth to yawn. A fish jumped in and became stuck in his throat. He choked to death before it could be pulled out.
Mario Clana entered a funeral parlour and saw a man rise with a satisfied smile from a coffin. He died of shock. Pedro Fernandez, the owner of the parlour had been measuring the coffin for a client about his own size. The shock of what he thought he saw was too much for Mario Cianca.
People have died in different and amazing ways. But the most important things to consider is, "Were they ready?" How they died is not so important, but they should have been ready. Death- with one's boots on or off- is final. To be ready is all important.
Goliath died, being hit by stone; he was not ready for death. He had defied the God of Israel. "The stone sunk into his forehead; and he fell upon his face to the earth" (1 Sam. 17:49).
Stones also caused the death of Stephen, but he was ready. He had glorified the name of Jesus by his outstanding witness. When the stones struck his body, his face shone as the face if an angel. "They stoned Stephen, calling upon God and saying, calling upon God and saying, 'Lord Jesus, receive my spirit' " (Acts 7:59).
King Saul of the Old Testament was not ready either. He had disobeyed the Word of God. Samuel told him, "To obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams... Because you have rejected the Word of the Lord, he has also rejected you" (1 Sam. 15:22, 23). "Saul took a sword, and fell upon it" (1 Sam. 31:4).
Saul of Tarsus died by a sword too, but he was ready when he bent his head at word of the executioner. His testimony was, "I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand. I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith" (2 Tim. 4:6,7).
When death comes your way, friend, what matters how you die? Wire, bullet, dog, fish, shock, stone or sword will make no difference. The big question is: Where will you be in eternity? God's solemn word is: "It is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment" (Heb. 9:27).
He further says, "Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool" (Isa. 1:18).
Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved (Acts 16:31).
(Arthur Townsend, "Salvation" Magazine)
This is a regular section in Fair Dinkum. Please write in and share YOUR story with readers!
My Story
Under rather unhappy circumstances I left home at 16 years of age and it was not long before I was heavily involved in drugs. For a few years of my life I was 'stoned' nearly every day. I travelled around eastern Australia, living in communal houses, following the music of the times, 'living it up' at beaches and parties and generally avoiding the law. Occasionally I got labouring jobs but I also made quite a bit of money drug dealing.
One year in the beautiful Huon Valley in Tasmania I picked apples for a while then got a job with the local Forestry Commission. I was renting a mountain hut for $2 a week and working in the mountains clearing the bushes along the roadsides so as to improve driving visibility. In those days I was away from drugs for a while and with the outdoor work my health improved and my mind cleared. I became awed with the beauty surrounding me; the mountains, the forests, the snow on the ferns. I can remember standing outside on a clear cool night looking up at the stars; they seemed so incredible to me that I thought there must be a greater force behind all this. Not long after when I was back in Hobart I told a friend my impressions. 'There is a force of life behind everything', I said. Danny replied, 'What you are saying is that you believe there is a God.' I was surprised! 'Yes', I said, 'So I am.'
I was quite thrilled to discover at a later date those words in the Bible, 'For the invisible things of Him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead; so that they (men) are without excuse' (Rom. 1:20).
And especially concerning the stars; 'The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth His handywork' (Ps. 19:1).
Back in Hobart I soon got back into drugs. One day, in the communal house where I was living, I picked up a New Testament that was on the bookshelf. It belonged to a man in his sixties who was living and taking drugs with us. 'You can have that', said Keith, 'It's all about a man named Jesus. If you read that you might become a Christian Communist like I am'. I didn't know what Christian Communism was (I now doubt that there is such a thing) but I took the book anyway. I had heard talk about enlightenment and meditations and the like and browsed through several books, so I thought why not read this one too. I thought maybe this book would tell me something about God.
Once, when I was of high school age, I intended to read the Bible but I didn't get past the first chapter of Matthew. This time I was much more interested so I read carefully, beginning again at Matthew.
After only reading a few chapters of the Bible I was impressed with the fact that 'This book is about me'. What it said about the human heart was true. It looked into my heart and showed me my thoughts and feelings. It understood my sorrows, it was wisdom, and... it also revealed my sin before God.
God says 'Love thy neighbour', and even to 'Love your enemies' (Matt. 5:43-44). I was quick to 'point the finger' at the faults of others but I saw the same selfishness, hurtfulness, pride and great lack of love in myself.
I was condemned by Matthew 5:28, 'Whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart'.
Concerning food and clothing I read 'Seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you' (Matt. 6:33), so I gave up drug dealing and got a job. I felt wrong even using drugs but I did not give them up just yet.
About this time I went to the drive-in one evening with friends; Kim, Penny and Penny's three year old son Donovan. The movie was about a rock star who 'made it' to success, fame, money, popularity and every pleasure that money could buy. What then? He continually filled his arm with heroin until he died from an overdose. What then, I thought? Meeting God! I felt awfully uncomfortable after that prospect. And not only that. I realised that on the screen was a common story for someone achieving their goals and having everything they ever dreamed of and still not being happy and satisfied. I remember also looking across at Donovan. Kim, Penny and I were of course all stoned but Donovan sat isolated and bored with everything. He seemed so pure and innocent that I felt unclean in his presence. That night I went home shaken. I was unsatisfied, unclean and feared to meet God in my awful state. I was resolved that night to turn from my downward path, to break away from my friends if need be. I was resolved to seek in earnest.
Temptation is when we have a strong desire to do something that is wrong. When we yield to temptation we sin. I battled and fell with drug temptations for a while. One day I was walking home and thinking about smoking some marijuana when I got there. I knew it was wrong but another part of me strongly wanted to. I failed, and as if to spite God I made a particularly strong 'joint'. As soon as it was finished I was greatly grieved with what I had done. That began a wretched afternoon. I began to reflect on my state, my sin, my rebellion. I thought much about what to do. Was there any hope for me? Where should I turn? At length I lay on my bed in grief. I can remember feeling so wretched with myself that I wished I could take out my soul and tear it apart. There seemed no hope for me. I called to God, 'Oh God, deliver me from all these things'. As I said 'these things' before God I cast before Him (in my mind) all my drugs, sin and pride, and all the deceptions of false pathways.
God heard my prayer, as you shall see, and as I recall that was the second last time I touched drugs.
About this time, I was walking down the road one Sunday and I heard singing coming from a church of the denomination I had had some contact with as a boy. I thought to go in. However on coming to the door I saw a sign which said 'Do not enter while sermon is in progress'. In my ignorance I didn't know whether singing was part of the sermon or not, but it made me think that they didn't want me in there. So I turned away, noticing also the row of expensive cars lined up outside.
I read in the Bible how the Lord Jesus sent His disciples to travel around and preach in different cities. This made me think that I should travel too. Not to preach but to make a break for a while from my companions. I noted that the disciples were sent with so little luggage or possessions. This appealed to me because all my possessions fitted into my backpack. So off I went, with the New Testament in the top pocket of my denim jacket.
At the Uraidla show I came across four or five stalls of a religious nature. One was trying to sell something, another was blaring out loud music, and so on. But one stall stood out to me. It had a display of framed Bible verses and was offering them free to the people. 'They are the people who have got something', I thought. Because they were presenting only the Word of God, and they wanted to give, not take.
I went nearer to read the texts and heard the lady, as she passed on a pamphlet, say to someone, 'This will help explain the truths of the Bible for you'. My heart responded to this because I needed the truth. With friends I often talked about 'What is truth?' I went nearer and made it known what I had heard her say. Straight away she asked me if I wanted to come into the tent to read the Scriptures with them. I was delighted to. In I went and an elderly gentleman opened a Bible and turning from Scripture to Scripture we read together how we have all sinned and the Lord Jesus died on the cross to pay for all our sin. I do not remember many details of what Scriptures we read but I can remember relating well to Isaiah 53:6: 'All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned everyone to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on Him the iniquity of us all'.
I knew I had gone astray, and as the Scriptures were read to me the tears flowed as the love of God was made real to my soul. I saw it clearly that Christ had died for my sin. That day, 21 February 1976, I was born again by believing on the Lord Jesus Christ as my Saviour. All my sins forgiven! Saved for eternity!
My friend, listen to His wonderful words:
'Seek ye the Lord while He may be found, call ye upon Him while He is near: let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the Lord, and He will have mercy upon him; and unto our God, for He will abundantly pardon' (Isaiah 55:6,7).
I was born in Sydney, learnt a trade, married, with three children. I always had a passion to go on the land. In 1978 it happened- I moved onto this place where I still am today. It was wonderful to be here, but there were plenty of money worries, and I was generally stressed out. My wife didn't share my passion to be on the farm, and so wasn't exactly co-operative. I can remember feeling so alone.
At that time I was 38 years old and physically fit. About 6-8 months later I developed dreadful pains in my little finger and big toe. Over the next twelve months the condition worsened. Other fingers, toes ankles, etc. I had a condition known as Psoriatic Arthritis. I was devastated.
I can remember the need to support the children. I managed to find bits and pieces of work repairing machinery, tractor driving, etc. The work at home suffered. My son did most of the stockwork at weekends, or after school. He was a willing little man and to this day is a real blessing.
In 1985- Phillip went off to Sydney to work- my wife left me- a neighbour and dear friend died, and my mother died. Suicide stuff. I can remember thinking I had the children. They were a real inspiration. Anything stupid I did would affect them badly, so I plodded on.
A year or more after my separation I met a man and his wife under the most unusual circumstances. They led me to the Lord and I committed my life and joined a church. I can remember reading "Ask anything in My Name and I will give it". I prayed for healing... So many folk prayed for me and nothing happened. It was a disappointing time.
A friend from Brisbane rang. He told me about his wife. She had suffered a bad back for years. She attended a prayer meeting and was healed in an instant. As soon as I was able I jumped on a bus and I attended a similar prayer meeting and was prayed for by the same chap. Nothing happened. I came back home and I remember sitting in the kitchen, on my own "again", and I prayed, "Father, what am I going to do?" A strange peace came over me (John 16:33).
That moment was a beautiful and amazing moment in my life. The things that mattered in my life didn't seem to matter any more. It's incredible how things work out when you stop worrying about them. I remember noticing that I was able to do things with less effort. At one time I was using crutches to get around. I gave them back to the hospital. Would you believe that just this year I have started playing squash one hour a week!
When I went to Brisbane for prayer I took God with me, and brought Him home again. God is in us (1 Cor. 6:19). When I sat in the kitchen on my return is when I let go of the old. It's sad that we have to allow a disaster in our lives to see. If you are reaching out stretch further. You'll never stop learning. (John Thring, NSW)
The church has changed much in the last three decades. It used to be holiness, but now its legalism. We used to have conviction but now it's a religious spirit! We once coveted discernment but today that is viewed as cynicism. We used to preach (and practice) separation but today we answer the higher call to relevance. There was a day when sinners were called sinners but now we call them seekers! May the Lord help us find our way back to the narrow way that leads to life because the broad way that leads to hell is well travelled and, sadly, there are many journeying there. It's the broad way or the God way. Friend, which path are you on? (Pillar of Fire, 4/96)
There's a burden to be lifted,
And a barrier to be shifted,
It would seem God's need is supermen today.
Wicked rulers in high places,
Seem intent to ruin races,
While the Christians make their daisy chains and play.
God has need of soldiers true;
Demons laugh, recruits are few,
So that death and hell and satan have their sway.
No! My son, the task's not done,
Scarcely has it yet begun,
Men- all classes- totter to the grave;
To that great eternal night,
With no ray of hope in sight,
Tramp lost millions whom our Jesus died to save.
Gracious God our hearts inspire,
Touch us with celestial fire,
Give us burning heart and bursting lips and brimming eyes,
Strength of purpose, power of will,
There's a place for us to fill
And a victor's crown awaiting in the skies!
(Leonard Ravenhill)
Are we heading for apostasy or world revival? What does the Bible say? Does the Bible say that there will be a great end-time world-revival or "harvest"?
False religion and evil are increasing. Many believe that we are indeed approaching days similar to the days of Noah and Lot (Lk. 17:26,28), when wickedness prevailed and God's mercy ran out.
Most who teach a world-wide revival refer to Joel 2:28-32: "And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh..." Most people read only two verses and fail to read the next three verses (vs. 30-32) which are connected! "...And I will shew wonders in the Heavens and in the Earth, blood, and fire, and pillars of smoke. The Sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and terrible day of the Lord come." The key word is "afterward". After what? The exact timing is important! Matthew 24:29-30 gives us the answer: "Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened and the moon shall not give her light and the stars shall fall from the heaven, and the powers of the heaven shall be shaken... and they shall see the Son of Man coming in the clouds..." These events, (the same as in Joel), are also spoken of in Rev. 6:12 and 16:10, and the "sun" and "moon" are similarly mentioned in Mark 13:24-27. All these events are after the tribulation, as proved by Matt. 24:29.
A world-wide end-time revival is not only unbiblical but in opposition to numerous passages of scripture. The scriptures that speak of massive apostasy and falling away from the faith are overwhelming (Eg., 1 Tim. 4:1, 2 Th. 2:3, 2 Tim. 4:3-4)! The Bible clearly predicts "false Christs and false prophets" (Matt. 24:11, 24); false "signs and wonders" (2 Th. 2:9, 10; Matt. 24:24); increasing "deception" (2 Tim. 3:13, Matt. 24:11, 24, Rev. 6:4), and "iniquity" (Matt. 24:12).
There is no doubt that localised revivals can take place as this is attested to by scripture (eg., Acts), and history. God is sovereign and He can bring revival to any part of the earth that He desires, especially where we obey 2 Ch. 7:14: "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". The idea of a world-wide end-time revival, however, does not have the backing of God's Word! The scriptures rather speak strongly of a "falling away"- a great apostasy before the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. Could these things not already be occurring? Are we really preparing for a world revival or are we blinded by a major apostasy? (Terry Arnold, Hervey Bay, Qld)
The Book of Joel is a prophecy to Israel, not the Gentiles. The latter rain revival is for the return of Israel to the lord, during the preaching of the 144,000 in the Tribulation. I believe it will also be the means of saving those Gentiles who hear it (Rev. 7:14). It is however directed first to Israel, in the time of Jacob's Trouble. (Joyce, Wynn vale, SA)
This is the age of the printed page,
The age of the film and the fan;
And it's also the age of unbelief
Deep in the heart of man.
This is the age of the Atom Bomb,
The age of radioaction;
And it's also the age when the heart of man
Is searching for satisfaction.
This is the age of music gone mad,
The age of rock-n'-roll;
And it's also the age when men neglect
The welfare of their soul.
This is the age of the powerful jet,
And supersonic flying;
The age when men are anxious to live,
But can't escape from dying.
This is the age of Trade Union rule;
The age of industrial strife;
And it's also the age when men forget
There's an afterward to life.
This is the age of multiplied crime,
The age of increased divorce;
And few there are who think of Hell
With its suffering and remorse.
This is the age when the morals of men
Sink lower every day;
The age that is hastening to its doom,
And soon will pass away.
For God Himself shall intervene
To bring this age to an end;
And only those will escape its wrath
Who have Jesus as their Friend.
For this is also the Gospel age,
The age of free salvation;
When those who trust in Christ the Lord
Are saved from condemnation.
So don't delay, but act today,
For Heaven make preparation;
"Behold, now is the accepted time,
Now is the day of salvation."
(Sent by Br Weeks, SA)
Someone, somewhere must have said a little prayer for me.
I know not how it came about,
but quietly, secretly-
the weight was lifted off my heart.
there came a strange relief-
a relaxation from the crushing tyranny of grief.
The love of life stole in once more like sunshine after rain.
The future beckoned and I followed, finding joy again...
I knew not how it happened. It was all a mystery-
But this I know: that someone somewhere must have prayed for me.
(Sent by Sis Kohler, Somerton Park, SA)
Once upon a time it was "For God, King, and Country". Today God, monarchy, and loyalty have almost disappeared, for the sake of self, sex, and sadness. (George, Geraldton, WA).
I don't know hardly a single Christian believer who is serious about the Lord who is not under attack today. Trials, suffering and struggles are all the go, yet the "faith movement" tells us that all should be easy going and prosperity should abound. If one is to understand the Word what we are seeing today is clearly a sign that Jesus Christ is coming very soon. Every feeling and conviction I have within tells me this is indeed so- Jesus IS coming very soon!
Get the people in, no matter how. It matters not about doctrinal issues- the truth of the Gospel, etc... Rebellion and confusion... Heavy metal rock music... The adoption of "Church growth programs" rather than focussing on the Word and the Lord. Our Lord is not interested in all this activity and outward show. He is only interested in the hearts of men. He looks on the inside and He sees the real attitudes that come from within. I am certain that He will vindicate our efforts and our stand and He will honour the truth for which we strive (Allen, Mount Gambier, SA).
Our nation of Australia needs lots of prayers, as do many of our churches (Bro Herb, Mourilyan, Qld).
John and Jenny are recently from Devon, England. They felt challenged by the Lord Jesus to sell the farm, give to the poor and follow Him. They now minister in a small house fellowship at Laverton, WA, amongst Aboriginals from remote desert tribes. "We are here, unsponsored, except for the conviction the Lord has given us, to live as Christians alongside these tribal people. You can surely imagine the difficulties and insecurities which constantly tempt us. Please pray."
War clouds will gather from the west to the east,
The anti-Christ's come to reign with the beast.
All nations will gather, they'll fight to the death,
Without God's intervention there'd be no more breath,
Then Christ will return with all glory and power.
He'll rescue a remnant in that dreadful hour.
He'll set up His kingdom from Jerusalem He'll reign,
Let us trust in the Lord for He's coming again.
(Bro Wyndham, Innisfail, Qld)
Rather than bring men and women under conviction for their sin and call them to repentance, today's preaching simply concentrates on all the advantages of belonging to Jesus... It reduces Jesus Christ to a sort of coin-in-the-slot chocolate machine, standing ready to dispense goodies to all and sundry.
The effect of a self-oriented gospel is to produce selfish disciples of that creed, ever searching for more good things to enhance their lives. How many of the supposed "decisions" at large evangelistic meetings are of that kind? How many of these "converts" return to their old lives when the razzamatazz and excitement of the meeting is over? (From Making War in the Heavenlies- A Different Look, by Bill Randles; kindly sent by Bro. Tony, Katherine, NT)
Aussie youth are in danger!
More than ever before, they are alienated and suicidal. They are the helpless,
hopeless victims of a godless society that is bent on its own self-destruction.
What can we Christians offer them? How can we reach them?
Some try. My son and daughter recently attended a "Christian rock concert". It's aim- to reach the youth. My 14-year old son came back from this concert with an aching neck. He told me how he'd learned "headbanging" at this concert. I was stunned. We have always encouraged our children to steer clear of worldliness, and to follow Christ as their Lord and Saviour. This "Christian" concert was actually corrupting our youth! I couldn't believe my ears.
The name of the event was "RIOT". Maybe "ROT" would have been a better name. It supposedly stood for "Righteous Invasion of Truth". My wife felt compelled to find out the meaning of the word. What she found out shocked her. The World Book Dictionary defined "Riot" as: confusion; disorder; wild, violent public disturbance of the peace; loose living, wild revelling; to behave in a wild, disorderly way; to spend or waste (money, time, or health) in loose living. I also found that the Bible uses the word to describe ungodly behaviour, such as the sinful life of the prodigal son. The word translated as "riot" actually means "unsavedness". Why on earth was this event called "riot", given the obvious evil connotations of this word?
It makes one wonder. Just how "Christian" can a rock concert be? The loud, thrashing rock, heavy beat, idolising fans, flashing lights, and worldly imitation clearly presents a compromised message. That is, if you can even manage to hear the words above the noise.
The fact is that today's youth are on a helter-skelter road to Hell. And the church has watered down and sugar-coated its vital message far too much. Where is the genuine article? Where are the "fair dinkum" Christians? Are there any out there? Or are they all in "fantasy-land", attending the latest "seminar", or ecumenical "convention"? Are we truly reaching out to the young Samaritan lying wounded in the gutter, or are we too busy organising the latest "program"- too busy going to hear the latest American showmen. Let's be honest.
Does our message really lead youth to be "Righteous"? Do the gimics and fads add to, or detract from the real Gospel? Are we drawing young people to a closeness with the Lord Jesus Christ- or are these worldly methods actually attracting them away from Him? Why should we stoop to adopt the values and standards of the world- the styles and fashions of the secular scene? Why does today's church mimic the plastic presentations of secular pop and television entertainers? Who's influencing who?
Does the thrashing, drum-dominated music soothe the spirit, and lead troubled hearts to find peace in Christ? Does the shallow veneer of righteousness make this hollow package sound? The false, compromised, glitzy, glamorised gospel simply does not present the loving, crucified Saviour, and His rugged, blood-stained cross. The imported American hype and tripe "health and wealth" gospel certainly doesn't call people to a surrendered, crucified life. True godliness and discipleship is no longer promoted- or popular. The focus is on the latest rap or rock band, led by long haired, effeminate men, with a taste for the sick sound of a sick society. No commitment to Christ here- success for these new age "evangelists" is how many CDs they sell at the meeting's end.
Maybe I'm being cynical. Or am I just being realistic? It has probably helped me not having my TV operating for the last nine months. I've actually had time to think. My wife and I have been blessed to be "TV-free" since our "plug-in drug" blew a fuse. What's more- we've no plans to get it fixed. We've had so much more peace in our home since it stopped working. We've noticed a change in our youngsters, too. It seems that some people just don't know how to use the "Off" button. This time-wasting "idiot box" with its worldly pollution, and sensual, anti-God messages, is turning Australian youth into a nation of zombies. And "Pay-TV" is sure to escalate the trend.
Australia's youth are rebellious, self-centred, and hate authority. Rock music reflects and fosters this rebellion. In contrast to this- God calls all- both young and old- to humbly surrender and submit to Him. You could say that I am angry. I'm angry at the devil- angry at a weak, lukewarm, lily-livered church. Angry at the way satan is robbing our young people of the living hope of eternal life. Angry at false religions and the New Age Movement which are misleading many. In fact, the fastest growing religion in Australia is now Buddhism. The reality is that God's peace for troubled lives is only found by making Jesus Christ the Lord and Saviour of your life.
Back to "RIOT"... What about the word "Invasion"? The fact is that we are being invaded. Australia, and the whole world, lies in the power of the wicked one. Our nation has been overtaken by an alien power. The devil has attacked and overtaken our world. It is time for Christians to take back the territory!
Are we "Of" the world or "Of" God? It's black and white. Are we prepared to cross the line, or do we just sit on the fence? The Bible says that a "Friend of the World" is actually an "Enemy of God".
"Truth" is another key word. Is the church of the Lord Jesus Christ toning down its message and straying from the foundation? I fear that it is. The traditional values- the solid doctrines- the challenging hymns- the old fashioned Gospel- they've been replaced with a poor substitute.
In these latter days in which we live, false prophets, false teachers, and their false doctrine abounds. These wolves, sent by the father of lies, cunningly hide their identity in sheep's clothing. It's time to really get serious- to get "fair dinkum". Let's call sin, "sin". We need God's Spirit to "raise up a standard" against the flood that threatens to drown our youth in immorality, and bury the last vestiges of our crumbling Christianity in waves of false doctrines and compromise.
I urge the Christians of Australia to unite on the firm foundation of God's Holy Word, to rise up against the invader who is taking over our country, and to "take up arms" against him as a spiritual force. Let's defend our youth from the attacks of compromising Christianity, and stave off the encroaching tentacles of the world. As godly men and women, let us stand our ground and be the godly leaders of our nation, for the sake of our young people. I challenge Australian youth to rise up against the tide, to go against the flow. Leave off the fashions, the trends, the rotten, rebellious music of this lost world, and humbly receive new life at the cross.
Surrender your life to the Lord Jesus Christ. He is the Prince of Peace, and the Lord of Lords. He is the answer- your only hope. He calls you: "Take up your cross and follow Me." Will you obey?
Andrew Craig (Editor)
(Current excesses have) ...done dreadful harm among the brethren, and God is not the author of confusion (Grace, Craigmore, SA).
(Someone said...) "Prophecy is talking out loud about those things which people don't want to hear". Well you know that already Bro, but I will guess that you have had many a moment when you may think that not only is nobody listening to you, some would even like to string you up from the nearest tree for stating what you do. Join the club of thousands!
If you do feel that way from time to time, not only are you human, but you would be feeling the same way I do. But do not despair, and do not stray from the good fight. We've got a job to do, and as you know, it's a hard one and the rewards are few. (Alan, NSW)
So-called Christianity is filled to overflowing with apostasy. (Lyle, Tas; Former deputy leader of the CRC)
The only way to dispel darkness is to turn on the light! "All things that are reproved (ie, error, doctrinal, moral, etc) are made manifest by the light, for whatsoever make manifest is light" (Eph. 5:13). Error can only be seen for what it is in the light of the truth. There must be a balance. The darkest hour is just before the dawn. It is the certainty of the dawn that cheers us through the night.
It is a pleasant thing to set forth the Love of God in the Gospel but it is otherwise, when like Jeremiah we are called upon to preach against wickedness in high places. It is right to exhort, rebuke, reprove, with all longsuffering and doctrine (Les Carter, Meeniyan, Vic).
God allowed a "lying spirit" to deceive Israel's leaders, because they wouldn't hear Micaiah, God's true prophet of the day (1 Kings 22:19-22) (Br Austin, Alice Springs, NT).
Don't give up, Andrew!! I know myself at times how hard the struggle is. Even the people who should be closest (like family) often regard you as "bigots" or "religious fanatics"! We are also very concerned about the great amount of false doctrine and down-right heresy that is being preached by many of the churches today. (Colin & Margaret, Warrnambool, Vic)
"Look, God, I have never spoken to You-
But now- I want to say, "how do You do."
You see, God, they told me You didn't exist-
And like a fool- I believed all of this.
Last night from a shell-hole I saw Your sky-
I figured right then, they had told me a lie,
Had I taken time to see the things You made,
I'd known they weren't calling a spade a spade.
I wonder, God, if You'd shake my hand.
Somehow- I feel that' You will understand.
Funny- I had to come to this hellish place,
Before I had the time to see Your Face.
Well, I guess there isn't much more to say,
But I'm sure glad, God, I met You today.
I guess the "zero hour" will soon be here,
But I'm not afraid since I know You're near.
The signal!-Well, God, I'll have to go.
I like You lots- this I want You to know-
Look, now- this will be a horrible fight-
Who knows- I may come to Your House tonight.
Though I wasn't friendly with You before
I wonder, God- if You'd wait at Your Door,
Look- I'm crying! Me- shedding tears!
I wish I'd known You these many years.
Well, I will have to go now God- goodbye.
Strange, since I met You, I'm not afraid to die.
(Frances Ange)
(The Catholic priests had huge houses, servants, delicate foods, high salaries, wines, games, and delighted themselves in vices. Menno Simmons forsook the luxurious lifestyle he had enjoyed as a priest in order to be a disciple of Christ...)
For this I, my poor, feeble wife and children have for eighteen years endured extreme anxiety, oppression, affliction, misery, and persecution, and at the peril of my life, have been compelled everywhere to live in fear and seclusion; yea, when ministers repose on easy beds and downy pillows, we generally have to hide ourselves in secluded corners... we must look out, when the dogs bark, lest the captors be at hand. Whilst they are saluted as doctors, lords and teachers by every one, we have to hear that we are Anabaptists, hedge preachers, deceivers and heretics... In short, whilst they are gloriously rewarded for their services with large incomes and easy times, our recompense and portion must be fire, sword and death...
I have served you all with this small talent as I have received it from my God. I could wish that I could at some time do it with greater and richer grace to the praise of the Lord. For these things I have renounced name and fame, honour and ease, and all, and have willingly assumed the heavy cross of my Lord Jesus Christ which at times assails my poor, weak flesh quite grievously. I seek neither gold nor silver (the Lord knows) but am ready with faithful Moses to suffer affliction with the people of God rather than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season. I also esteem the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures of Egypt, for I know what the Scriptures have promised us. This is my only joy and heart's desire: to extend the kingdom of God, reveal the truth, reprove sin, teach righteousness, feed hungry souls with the Word of the Lord, lead the straying sheep into the right path, and gain many souls to the Lord through His Spirit, power, and grace.
Therefore we preach, as much as possible, both by day and by night, in houses and in fields, in forests and wastes hither and yon, at home or abroad, in prisons and in dungeons, in water and in fire, on the scaffold and on the wheel, before lords and princes, through mouth and pen, with possessions and blood, with life and death. We have done this these many years, and we are not ashamed of the Gospel of the glory of Christ.
(Menno Simmons, 16th Century)
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