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For
Those Seeking The Truth & Dynamic Living Christ is Victor |
September/October
2004
Volume
17, Number 5
“Follow Me”
“And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.” Luke 9:23
Today the modern disciples of Jesus scarcely cause a ripple in the world. Moreover it is fashionable for those who have pretensions to refinement to say that they are pretty tolerant. “Why should I bother? Everyone has a right to his own convictions and religion”, they feel. But should a true Christian, who lives a dynamic life, turn up on the scene, despite their much vaunted tolerance, they would fume like a whale in distress.
The trouble with many Christians on a Monday morning is that they creep into their week-day shell like a snail in distress. So the world has little chance of seeing a Christian disciple living a dynamic life. When Christ comes to you, he says, “Deny yourself, take up your cross and follow me.” There are glorious compensations for any tribulation or persecution that you may face for the sake of Jesus. The Cross speaks of a shameful death and of a weight to bear. God said to a young man in our meetings, “Carry the Cross when you are young and the Cross will carry you when you are old.” Yes, it is the Cross of Jesus which brings separation from sin and brings us to a victorious life.
If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.” Who likes to die daily? It is the singing, the big choirs and the fine music that many Christians are really interested in. It is the call to die daily that Christians neglect and thus become spiritual snails that are of no significance whatever in the battle for righteousness.
Saul made havoc of the Church and entered into every house haling men and women, and committed them to prison. Now that is the Church- a real battleground, the place of danger, risk and death.
See the modern metamorphosis which has come over Christian disciples and the Church. By and large they have become comfortable men steeped in selfish desires, with their hearts set on material elevation and monetary advancement. And a sleepy old place where a bunch of these comfortable men gather as to a social club, is call the Church!
The Lord Jesus Christ
said, “Whosoever therefore shall be ashamed of me and of my words in this
adulterous and sinful generation, of him also shall the Son of man be ashamed,
when he cometh in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.” (Mark
The sense of uncertainty and insecurity which people feel today are so great that on all hands we see men and women quite unashamedly running to astrologers. Amidst all this soul-destroying activity how can a true disciple keep silent and not open his mouth and declare Jesus from whom he had received peace and forgiveness of sins?
The tragedy that stalks many Christians is embedded in their thinking which secretly craves for all the earthly possessions that their neighbours run after and acquire! Nor do them seem to be able to resist the pressure brought on by their children to buy this, that and the other thing. “Children rule over them,” says the Bible, depicting a scene of total chaos. The tastes and acquisitiveness that the children are imbibing so quickly are no more than the uncrucified traits of their own parents. If you desire for things has supercooled the compelling desire to win souls, then you are dead as a doornail. Your claim to be a Christian gives immense satisfaction to the devils in hell.
Comes, let us humble
ourselves and put away the evil hearts that love ease and comfort before all
else. Let us be full of praise and
gratitude to God for His great faithfulness towards us. Let us re-arm ourselves for the battle
for holiness and truth. Let us go
on to become prayer warriors who will pray through until those who hate Jesus
become mighty disciples as it happened to
- Joshua Daniel
“Reality Check”
“I cried unto God with my voice, even unto God with my voice; and he gave ear unto me.” Psalm 77:1
“Uncertain Riches”
In 1923, nine of the
most powerful men on earth met in
But these men, who lacked moral values and placed all their trust in uncertain riches, were suddenly facing a sad reality; the hopes of many rich do come to an end.
In 1948, twenty-five years after that famous meeting, Charles Schwab filed for bankruptcy and spent the last five years of his life surviving on borrowed money; Samuel Insull died in a foreign land, a fugitive of justice and penniless; Howard Hopson died an insane man; Arthur Curten lost his economic solvency and died abroad; Richard Witney had just been released from Sing Sing Prison; Albert Fall, had just received a presidential pardon so that he could die in the company of his family and not in prison; finally, Jesse Livermore and Ivar Kreuger had taken their lives just as Leon Fraser did.
What a great lesson history left us! These men all met together in the same year to be praised by the whole world, and some twenty-five years later, all nine of them passed away to eternity with more sorrow than glory. This, because they placed their trust in uncertain riches.
The Lord Jesus Christ said,
“For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and
lose his own soul?” (Mark
- Selected
“The Power in the Name of
Jesus”
There is no use in our trying to approach God in any other way than in the name of Jesus Christ, on the ground of His claims upon God, and on the ground of His atoning death, by which He took our sins upon Himself and made it possible for us to approach God on the ground of His claims upon God.
Do you realize that we honor the name of Christ by asking great things in His name? Do your realize that we dishonor that name by not daring to ask great things in His name? Oh, have faith in the power of Jesus’ name, and dare to ask great things in His name!
During the Civil War, there was a father
and mother in
After he had gone to the front, he wrote home regularly, telling his father and mother about his experiences in camp and elsewhere. His letters were full of brightness and good cheer, and they brought joy to the father’s and mother’s lonely hearts, but one day at the regular time, no letter came.
Days passed, and no letter. Weeks passed,
and they wondered what might have happened to their boy. One day a letter came
from the
Days and weeks, months and years passed by. The war came to an end. One morning as they were sitting at the breakfast table, the maid came in and said, “There is a poor, ragged fellow at the door, and he wants to speak to you. But I knew you did not wish to speak to a man like him, and he handed me this note and asked me to put it in your hand.” And she put in the hands of the father a soiled and crumpled piece of paper. The father opened it, and when he glanced at it, his eyes fell upon the writing. Then he was startled, for he recognized the writing of his son. The note said:
Dear Father and Mother,
I have been shot and have only a short time to live, and I am writing you this last farewell note. As I write, there is kneeling beside me my most intimate friend in the company, and when the war is over he will bring you this note. When he does, be kind to him for Charlie’s sake. Your son, Charles.
There was nothing in that house that was too good for that poor tramp “for Charlie’s sake,” and there is nothing in heaven or on earth too good, or too great, for you and me in Jesus’ name. Oh, be bold and ask great things of God in Jesus’ name!
- R.A. Torrey
“Be Aware of Angels!”
Corrie ten Boom writes of a remarkable experience at the terrible Nazi Ravensbruck prison camp:
“Together we entered the terrifying building. At a table were women who took away all our possessions. Everyone had to undress completely and then go to a room where her hair was checked.
“I asked a woman who was busy checking the possessions of the new arrivals if I might use the toilet. She pointed to a door. Betsie stayed close beside me all the time. Suddenly I had an inspiration, “Quick, take off your woolen vest,” I whispered to her. I rolled it up with mine and laid the bundle in a corner with my little Bible. The spot was alive with cockroaches, but I didn’t worry about that. I felt wonderfully relieved and happy. “The Lord is busy answering our prayers, Betsie,” I whispered. “We shall not have to make the sacrifice of all our clothes.”
“We hurried back to the row of women waiting to be undressed and checked. A little later, after we had had our showers and put on our shirts and shabby dresses, I hid my Bible under my dress. It did bulge out obviously through my dress; but I prayed, “Lord, cause now Thine angels to surround me; and let them not be transparent today, for the guards must not see me.” I felt perfectly at ease. Calmly I passed the guards. Everyone was checked, from the front, the sides, and the back. Not a bulge escaped the eyes of the guard. The woman just in front of me had hidden a woolen vest under her dress; it was taken from her. They let me pass, for they did not see me. Betsie, right behind me, was searched.
“But outside awaited another danger. On each side of the door were women who looked everyone over for a second time. They felt over the body of each one who passed. I knew they would not see me, for the angels were still surrounding me. I was not even surprised when they passed me by; but within me rose the jubilant cry, “O Lord, if Thou dost so answer prayers, I can face even Ravensbruck unafraid.”
Every true Christian should be encouraged
and strengthened! Angels are
watching; they mark our path. They
superintend the events of our lives and protect the interest of the Lord God,
always working to promise His plans and to bring about His highest will for us. Angels are interested spectators and
mark all we do, “for we are made a spectacle unto the world, and to
angels and to men”(1 Cor. 4:9). God assigns angels to watch over us.
Angels minister
to us personally. Many accounts in
Scripture confirm that we are the subjects of their individual concern. Martin Luther said, “An angel is a
spiritual creature created by God without a body, for the service of
Christendom and the church.”
We may not always be aware of the presence of angels. We can’t always predict how they will appear. But often they may be our companions without our being aware of their presence. We know little of their constant ministry. The Bible assures us, however, that one day our eyes will be unscaled to see the full extent of the attention angels have given us (1 Cor. 13:11-12).
In the Old Testament, Daniel vividly describes the bitter conflict between the angelic forces of God and the opposing demons of darkness.
Many experiences of God’s people suggest that angels have been ministering to them. Other may not have known they were being helped, yet the visitation was real. The Bible tells us that God has ordered angels to minister to His people- those who have been redeemed by the power of Christ’s blood. We may often be unaware of their presence.
- Selected
“My Life was Changed”
World-famed pianist Arthur Rubenstein took aback Prime Minister Golda Meir and a national audience once when he professed faith in Jesus Christ over Israeli Television. According to a report in the Mount Zion Reporter, the incident took place while Mrs. Meir was interviewing the American-Jewish virtuoso, she asked him to name the “greatest event in your life.”
“When I received Yeshua Harnashiach (Jesus the Messiah) into my heart,” he replied. “Since then my life was changed. I have experienced joy and peace ever since.”
The report went on to state that at the comment Mrs. Meir leaned back in her chair with an expression of complete surprise!
“Now I Lay Me Down!”
A little girl was about to undergo a dangerous operation. Just before the doctor administered the anaesthetic, he said: “Before we can make you well, we must put you to sleep.” The girl responded: “Oh, if you are going to put me to sleep, then I must say my prayers first.” And she folded her hands, closed her eyes, and said: “Now I lay me down to sleep, I pray the Lord my soul to keep. If I should die before I wake, I pray the Lord my soul to take. And this I ask for Jesus’ sake. Amen.”
Later on the surgeon admitted that he prayed that prayer that night for the first time in thirty years.
“Yield Your Rights”
Shortly after the Civil War ended, General William T. Sherman’s victorious army was scheduled to march in a triumphal parade in a large city.
On the night before,
General Howard replied, “I think I am entitled to represent my division, since I led them to victory.”
“Yes, you are,”
said
“In that case,” said Howard, “of course I’ll yield.”
“All right,” said General Sherman, “I will go, arrange it, and will you please report to me in the morning at 9? You will be riding with me as the head of the army.”
General Howard’s willingness to submit to his commander and deny himself his rightful place led him to the position of greatest honour.
Jesus said, “If anyone serves Me, let him follow Me.” (John 12:26). When Jesus was reviled and opposed, He did not insist on His rights but “committed Himself to Him who judges righteously.” (1 Peter 2:23).
That same spirit should characterize His followers. If we as Christians give our lives to serve others for Christ’s sake, we will win His reward. Our “Loss” will be our gain.
“Whosoever loses his life for my sake will save it.” (Mark 8:35)
“Christian Living”
The late R.G. LeTourneau, the great
He answered it in his life by turning 90% of the assets of the company over to his Christian foundation, and then he and his wife gave in cash 90% of the income that was realized from the share of the business that he kept. He and his wife never lacked!
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.
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