|
For
Those Seeking The Truth & Dynamic Living Christ is Victor |
July/August 2002 Volume
15, Number 4
“Sin and
immorality make the heart as hard as granite”
"Mine eye runneth down with rivers of water, for the destruction
of the daughter of my people. My eye trickleth down and ceaseth not without any
intermission, till the Lord look down, and behold from heaven. "(Lam.
3:48-50)
We see a grave insensitivity
and hardness of heart gripping the men of our generation. The mass media,
newspapers, TV and magazines are full of violence and the coverage given to
heartless acts of terrorism and bloodshed is simply appalling. All this has the
effect of making the heart hard and compassionless.
A man came up to the
platform soon after a public address and said to me: "Sir, just like you
were saying in your message now, I got drunk, beat my wife who was pregnant and
drove her away. Then I deceived another girl into thinking that I was an
unmarried man and married her." For the first time in his life, this man
began to repent for his sins and turn to Christ. Moreover his free-wheeling
sexual promiscuity had brought upon him an awful skin disease and I had to pray
for him. Compassion for his poor wife, whom he had ill-treated so much, was
only just beginning to dawn upon him. Sin and immorality make the heart as hard
as granite. But when sin is confessed to Jesus and put away, then love and
concern for others breaks upon us as a new dawn.
When you stand before the
cross of Jesus, there comes an unmistakable melting in your heart. That studied
coldness, that lofty indifference to the cry of human misery, that icy
expressionless countenance would give way to a positive attitude and love. The
warmth of heaven comes into that hard and wintry face. This is the love of
Jesus, just seeping in.
In the Book of Lamentations
we see the prophet Jeremiah grieving over the spiritual destitution of
The art of modern hypocrisy
is so advanced that they simply will not acknowledge that a higher standard of
living is the full and final solution for their problems. How long are we going
to delude ourselves into thinking that when we fill our homes with
materialistic comforts of all sorts, then we shall be happy?
A lady in
There are homes around us
for whom we must shed tears in prayer. Real prayer opens a fountain of
compassion in our souls. I simply can't understand how people spend all their
days in a sort of selfish seclusion. It seems as though they have told
themselves, "Well, there is little I can do to lift the load of others,
while I am literally crushed by my own load." So saying they shut their
eyes and walk through life, occupying themselves with nothing but their own
wants and pleasures. One could weep for such people. What poor miserable
persons they are! They are a curse to their own children.
A life without Christ, a
heart without compassion and tearless eyes are a great calamity. You don't know
what you are missing. How it grieves me when I get letters, which say, "I
have never known a father's love!" Let us weep in prayer for souls who are
lost, love-lorn and bitter in this sad world of ours.
-Joshua Daniel
“Turn that
Over to Me”
The career of missionary E.
Stanley Jones, who died in 1973, was nearly cut short by chronic worry. When he
had first arrived in
While praying one night,
groping in emotional darkness, Jones seemed to hear a Voice ask him, "Are
you yourself ready for this work to which I have called you?"
"No, Lord,"
replied Jones, "I am done for. I have reached the end of my resources."
"If you will turn that
over to Me and not worry about it," the Voice seemed to say, "I will
take care of it."
Jones answered. "Lord,
I close the bargain right here".
A great sense of peace closed
in over Stanley Jones, a rush of abundant life that seemed to sweep him off his
feet. His energy returned, his enthusiasm bubbled over and he plunged back into
his work with a vitality he had never before known. Jones went on to spend a
lifetime of ministry in
He later wrote, "This
one thing I know: my life was completely transformed and uplifted that night...
when at the depth of my weakness and depression, a voice said to me: 'If you
will turn that over to Me and not worry about it,' I will take care of it,' and
I replied, 'Lord, I close the bargain right here'."
Cast your burden on the Lord
and He shall sustain you; He shall never permit the righteous to be moved..... Casting all your care upon Him, for He cares
for you. (Psalm 55:22 & I Peter 5:7)
Worry is the interest we pay on tomorrow's troubles.
-E.
Reality Check!
“For they all saw him, and
were troubled. And immediately he talked with them, and saith unto them, Be of good cheer: it is I; be not afraid.” - Mark
“FAITH
AND LOVE”
“For in Jesus Christ neither
circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision; but faith which worketh by
love.” (Gal. 5:6)
Faith which worketh by love!
Christian life is lived by faith. When sin leaves us faith comes into us. When
we are born again all the virtues of God come into us. These virtues come into
us in rudimentary form at conversion.
When you grow in faith your faith
affects even your blood. A man who has real faith in Jesus, even his blood
becomes powerful. Man's blood normally has the quality of killing germs. With
sin in the heart even your blood is weak. If you have a pure heart whatever you
eat you will be strengthened. You cannot have this kind of faith with a sinful
heart.
When you study the Bible and
meditate on the Word of God your faith will grow. Thus as you digest God's Word
and begin to pray, it will go deep into your heart. The greatest missionaries
and saints spent many hours in prayer. George Muller used to complete the study
of the Bible four times each year. The Lord taught me to study the Bible on my
knees. I learnt on my knees what I preach to you. Christ will teach you. It is
evident that many of you are not studying the Bible. It is a sin. You are as
the heathen. When a child is born it takes its mother's milk. In the same way
we must take in the Word of God.
You may have money. But
without faith having money is dangerous. All sorts of wickedness will come into
you. Do you have faith in the living God? Those who do not study the Bible are
dead men. "Man liveth not by bread alone, but by the Word of God."
Love is the supreme power.
God is the supreme power because He is Love. You may say, "Well we also
love our children." That is not true love often it is selfish love. But
God's love is holy. When you have that divine love, you can do many things.
Faith transforms our ordinary love into God's divine love. Mother's love is
animal love. But with Christ when a mother loves, then it is powerful love.
When faith comes in, it turns natural love into powerful love. When you pray
with this powerful love, then you receive power from on High. Have you got this
divine love?
If you try to love ten
people you will be strengthened. God so loved the world and sent His only Son
into the world, to die for us. The nearest place to Heaven is our home, because
love is there. Children love the parents. Husbands and wives love one another
and so on. Heaven is such a beautiful place made of love. If Christ is with the
husband and wife, then their love will be true love. When Christ is with us
then there will be no quarrelling. Without Christ you may have love, but that
will be mere animal love or natural love. Christ will give new love.
The Holy Spirit will keep
you away from sin.
A beautiful harmony will be
found where there is true love. Do you love your neighbour? Christ gives you
true love. The moment you begin to harbour anger and hatred, some kind of
disease begins in you. Jesus forgave from the Cross even the people who
crucified Him. If you become angry, your stomach will be upset. People who are
full of the spirit of hatred and vengeance will die early. Yes, men have some
kind of love. But this animal love is very selfish. You say, "I and my
family". When Christ comes, He will change that natural selfish love into
divine love. You find your heart burdened for others. Thus as you begin to love
your neighbours your family will be blessed.
Many think that Heaven is
somewhere. No. Heaven begins in our homes when you are converted. God fills the
clean heart with love. If a church has a dozen people who have divine love in
their hearts that church will be blessed. Is there true love in your family?
Are you contemplating anything against others?
Those that love others will
dwell in God. Have you got a pure heart? If you are converted and study the
Bible your love will become divine love. Love is unlimited in its power. Let us
love one another. The end of Christian teaching is love.
Joseph was full of love. He
kissed his enemies. He turned the wicked idolatrous country of
True love gives Christ to
others. If you have true love you will tell others of Christ. The best gift of
heavenly love given to the earth, is Jesus Christ. If you love your in- laws
you will give the Gospel to them. Except through the Saviour Jesus there will
be no real peace and love.
-N. Daniel
“Saved from
Disaster”
Farmer Lowe was crossing the
railway line on his way to a neighbouring farm when he noticed a drop in the tracks.
The evening train was almost due, and he had not time to notify the railway
agents at the nearest station, so there was no one else who could warn the
engineer but himself. Swinging a lantern with a one hand and a white
handkerchief with the other, he stood for a few minutes by the side of the
line. He could hear the roar of the approaching train, and, disregarding the
possibility of being killed, he stepped between the tracks and brought the
train to a standstill.
What a scene met the eyes of
engineer and passengers alike! Only two hundred yards ahead was a huge gap. A
cloudburst that afternoon had caused a washout, forty feet in depth and
sixty-five feet across. The tracks and ties remained intact, swinging
precariously across the yawning chasm.
Lowe's prompt action had
saved the lives of many of the passengers. Little did they dream as the train
sped its way over the smooth rails that they were going straight onto
destruction unless the train was stopped.
For one at least on that
train sudden death would have meant sudden glory. A very veteran preacher of
the gospel was one of the passengers, and he was
travelling on
an evangelistic tour. Death for him carried no eternal terrors.
But for the lost it would
have meant the shortening of their lives and the final settling of where they
would spend eternity, for as they enter eternity, so will they spend it. If
they enter lost, they will spend eternity lost. Who can measure the horror of
that?
When the engineer of the
train saw Lowe's signals, like a sensible man he put on the brakes and was able
to stop the train in time. But what shall we say of the lost who disregarded
the warnings of the scripture? This printed page is a signal flashed across
your path. Will you be warned? God grant that you may, for if you refuse to put
on the brakes, you will ensure your eternal destruction. Be wise!
A collection was made by the
passengers who had been saved from death or injury, and it amounted to a mere
$25. Counting 200 passengers on the train, this contribution averaged 12.5
cents per head. One could wish that the passengers had had no collection rather
than express their gratitude in such an ungenerous fashion. We should think
whoever handed this paltry sum over must have blushed to think how ungrateful the
passengers were!
But what shall be said of
the great price paid by Jesus on the Cross for the salvation of sinners? Words
cannot describe it. Mathematics have no figures to express this sum. It was an
infinite price, even the Blood of the Lord Jesus Christ.
And on our part, what
response have we given? Remember that 'Christ Jesus ...gave Himself a ransom for all" (I
Timothy 2:5-6). It was for all. The passengers' $25 was a pitiable sum. Has
your response been better?
-Selected
“Put Your Name in It!”
Ruth Bell Graham vividly remembers
A week later she was settling into her spartan
dormitory. Waves of homesickness pounded her like a churning
surf. Ruth kept busy by day, but evenings were harder. She would bury her head
in her pillow and cry herself to sleep, night after night, week after week. She
fell ill, and in the infirmary she read through the Psalms, finding comfort in
Psalm 27:10 -"When my father and my mother forsake me, Then the Lord will
take care of me."
The hurt and fear and doubt persisted. Finally, in
desperation, she went to her sister Rosa, also enrolled in
Her heart leaped, and the healing began.
“The
Atmosphere of Revival”
“I have great
sorrow and unceasing pain in my heart”
How easy it is to evangelize
in the atmosphere of revival! One can preach five times daily for several months
without feeling the strain of weariness. Many young evangelists are astonished
when they read of the strenuous labours of John Wesley, who covered the British
Isles on horseback year after year, preaching from five o'clock in the morning
till near midnight, day after day, to a ripe old age. The explanation is
simple: he was evangelizing during a time of deep spiritual awakening in the
Church. The standard of holiness among the saints had been raised high by John
and his brother Charles and their associates.
If one can stay in a place
long enough to lead God's people into a state of revival the task of preaching
the Gospel is reduced to simply explaining the way of salvation and giving the
invitation to seeking burdened souls. When the saints are revived each becomes
burdened about the lost about him, his loved ones, his neighbours, his business
companions and all whom he knows. Prayer meetings are crowded with every one
wanting to make requests for prayer for the salvation of his loved ones. Each
prayer meeting will be one groan in the Spirit for lost souls, as each seeks to
bear the burden of the others in his longing after his loved ones. In such
meetings, there is a desperateness about the requests and the prayers, mingled
with confidence that God answers prayer. Such confidence produces an expectancy
in the meetings which is felt in the very atmosphere.
With each believer working
for, praying for, believing for the salvation of his own lost ones, it is
little wonder that great conviction comes upon the unsaved in the meetings. It
is little wonder there is a stir among the godless in the town or city. It is
inevitable that souls should be saved during such times! With what joy the
believers and the evangelist work together in the harvest of lost souls!
-James
A Stewart
This newsletter is
produced six times per year by the Laymen’s Evangelical Fellowship
International. It is printed and distributed in the
This Fellowship is an
inter-denominational missionary and prayer group working for revival in churches
and amongst students in several countries. We invite every layperson to become
God’s ally in changing his or her corner of the world. We train people in
evangelistic work and to be self-supporting missionaries.
r
r
r
r MALAYSIA:
P.O.Box 236, Jalan Kelang Lama, 58700 Kuala Lumpur West Malaysia, Phone –
019-3260727
or Wisdom Hall, 37 Persiaran
Shahbandar, Taman Tambahan Krian VI, 34200 Parit Bundar, Perak,
Phone – (05) 7164100 T.K. Ong
r
r
r
r INTERNET:
http://lefi.org
r EMAIL:
post@lefi.org
PLEASE PASS THIS ON
TO A FRIEND