Dear friends with a heart for reaching Asians here and abroad with the love of Jesus Christ,
Jerry and I drove to UCLA recently for a screening of 1040, a 70-minute documentary on what God is doing in Asia, specifically S. Korea, Hong Kong, Singapore, Taiwan, mainland China, Indonesia and Afghanistan. It was followed by a personal account by charismatic (in both senses) pastor Jaeson Ma of miracles he witnessed while visiting churches. He interviewed Asian leaders (as well as Dick Eastman, Steve Douglas, Loren Cunningham, Cindy Jacobs, M.C. Hammer and others) and filmed church services throughout Asia.
The purpose of this inspirational film is to show that God is working mightily, bringing hundreds of thousands to Himself with accompanying signs and wonders in the far east today, just as He did in the near east through the disciples in the book of Acts. What He is doing there He can do here! Ma shared a brief history of the good news spreading from Jerusalem outward, until the Holy Spirit forbade disciples to take the word to Asia, re-routing them westward. The gospel of God's forgiveness and new life circled the globe, leaving the far east relatively unreached until recently.
But now Asia, having received the gospel from the west, has gone from being a mission field to a mission force. The largest churches in the world, including one of 1,000,000 members, are in South Korea. On film we watched an Easter sunrise service attended by 25-30,000 people. Chinese are coming to Christ at the rate of 3,700-4,000 per day. Asian Christians have committed to taking the gospel, via the Silk Road, through the unreached countries in the 1040 window back to Jerusalem, thus fulfilling the mandate of Acts 1:8 which must precede the return of Christ.
The film is also intended to motivate people to support missions by sending, going, supporting--and/or publicizing and promoting the film. (One businesswoman in Singapore interviewed in the film works to earn money for the gospel; she gave her first $50,000 profit to build six churches in India--and they were the only buildings still standing after a major earthquake.) The Chinese government, concerned about the loss of moral values in the country, has publicly appealed for 100,000 Christian college graduates from the United States to come to China and "spread Christian values!"
As Jaeson, probably about 30 years old, sang songs from his upcoming album “GLORY,” he gave an invitation to the audience of about 200, almost entirely Asian college students, to come forward and dedicate their lives to taking the good news to their own people here in the States and/or back to their countries of origin. With only one or two exceptions, every single person came forward. As for the two previous screenings, the 1040 website says:
-Directors Guild of America World Premiere in Hollywood was sold out. Unprecedented second theatre was opened with standing room only.
-NewSong Irvine was packed out, people sitting on the floor, people not allowed in due to fire hazard. So the overflow room was used – it overflowed into the lobby, where nearly a hundred people were watching on tiny screens. Over 900+ students made commitments to serve in Asia!
The 1040 film is being mass-produced for the public. In the meantime Jaeson and others are setting up screenings on American campuses for a Fall 1040 University Tour between September-October 2010. (I'm sure they would set up screenings at churches also.) You can go to: www.1040movie.com and click on “host a screening” or email 1040movie@adventures.tv to get your university on the tour.
We were thoroughly impressed with the film and with Jaeson Ma's vision, commitment and enthusiasm. Jerry and I are not officially connected with the film but we believe strongly in its message and encourage you to see it when it comes out.
Blessings,
Jerry and Jessica
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
Comin' Off the Mountaintop Blues
HELP YOURSELF to this song I wrote as a finale for Christian retreats and conferences. You should be able to click on the music here: http://www.box.net/shared/sjdblo1e8y. It has piano and synthesized voice but not the lyrics, so I am printing the lyrics out for you below:
THE COMIN' OFF THE MOUNTAINTOP BLUES
I had a mountaintop experience the other day.
It was easy to worship and easy to pray.
God's will was crystal clear, I had life all arranged--
But then I came down from the mountaintop
and nothing had changed.
Same old problems! Same routine!
What did all those fine-sounding commitments mean?
I've got those comin'-off-the-mountaintop blues,
I've got those comin'-off-the-mountaintop blues.
Upon the mountain Jesus gave me a sweet song to sing.
I knew with Him I could be victor over anything.
His word came so alive as I sat at His feet--
But then I came down from the mountaintop
to instant defeat.
Same temptation! Same old sin!
Same old conviction that I just can't win.
I've got those comin'-off-the-mountaintop blues,
I've got those comin'-off-the-mountaintop blues.
Chorus:
Satan, get lost! In Jesus' name!
I refuse to play your old depression game.
My mind is a kingdom and Jehovah is king--
Bug off, Satan, 'cause you're trespassing!
I had a mountaintop experience the other day.
It was easy to worship and easy to pray.
God's will was crystal clear, I had life all arranged--
And when I came down from the mountaintop--
praise God--nothing had changed!
Same great God and same great love!
Same abundant mercy that He offered above.
I've beat those comin'-off-the-mountaintop blues,
I've beat those comin'-off-the-mountaintop blues!
written by Jessica Shaver, Oct. 23, 1983
THE COMIN' OFF THE MOUNTAINTOP BLUES
I had a mountaintop experience the other day.
It was easy to worship and easy to pray.
God's will was crystal clear, I had life all arranged--
But then I came down from the mountaintop
and nothing had changed.
Same old problems! Same routine!
What did all those fine-sounding commitments mean?
I've got those comin'-off-the-mountaintop blues,
I've got those comin'-off-the-mountaintop blues.
Upon the mountain Jesus gave me a sweet song to sing.
I knew with Him I could be victor over anything.
His word came so alive as I sat at His feet--
But then I came down from the mountaintop
to instant defeat.
Same temptation! Same old sin!
Same old conviction that I just can't win.
I've got those comin'-off-the-mountaintop blues,
I've got those comin'-off-the-mountaintop blues.
Chorus:
Satan, get lost! In Jesus' name!
I refuse to play your old depression game.
My mind is a kingdom and Jehovah is king--
Bug off, Satan, 'cause you're trespassing!
I had a mountaintop experience the other day.
It was easy to worship and easy to pray.
God's will was crystal clear, I had life all arranged--
And when I came down from the mountaintop--
praise God--nothing had changed!
Same great God and same great love!
Same abundant mercy that He offered above.
I've beat those comin'-off-the-mountaintop blues,
I've beat those comin'-off-the-mountaintop blues!
written by Jessica Shaver, Oct. 23, 1983
Monday, February 9, 2009
END-TIME ISRAEL - 3 - Satan's agenda for Israel--and us
"For this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie." (Read context, I Thessalonians chapter 2. Is it possible that the mysterious "one who restrains iniquity" was taken out of the way on November 4, 2008?)
Dear Friends,
As with all things, God has an agenda for Israel. And Satan has an agenda for Israel. God's agenda is to bless Israel and through her, the whole world. Satan's agenda for Israel is its elimination and the total annihilation of the Jews. Hmm, where have we heard this agenda before? How many Jews were slaughtered and how many years of death and disruption of the entire world did it take to stop the carnage after England tried appeasement with Hitler and found it does not work with madmen? Yet a new Third Reich has arisen to threaten the world. Hamas and Hezbollah are publicly committed to the extermination of the Jews:
"The annihilation of the Jews here in Palestine
is one of the most splendid blessings for Palestine.
This will be followed by a greater blessing,
Allah be praised, with the establishment of a
Caliphate that will rule the land and will be pleasing
to men and God." Hamas cleric Muhsen Abu 'Ita,
on Al-Aqsa TV, July 13, 2008 (one sample of many).
Read also Hamas charter.
Does it come as a surprise that these same radical Muslims deny the fact of the Holocaust, even claiming they are victims of a holocaust? Or that they attribute 9/11 to the Jews and to Americans, the targets of the attack? Or that the seemingly random attacks on multiplied airliners, embassies, trade centers, hotels, restaurants and innocent civilians around the world are being perpetrated by inter-related Muslim organizations?
These fantaics for Allah are committed, in fact, to the annihilation of Western civilization.
Did I just hear you snort in derision? Think it's unlikely? far-fetched? ridiculous? Just because most "conspiracy theories" are figments of paranoia doesn't mean conspiracies never happen.
Go to TheThirdJihad.com and watch the video clips. Then order and watch both Obsession (the radical goal of destroying Western civilization) and The Third Jihad (how they are realizing this goal from within our own country).
Satan's agenda is and has always been to kill, steal and destroy. His method is and has always been lies and deception. Our apathy or willful ignorance certainly makes it easier for him.
In our own country, radical Muslims are taking advantage of our rights to freedom of speech and religion to openly advocate the violent overthrow of Western civilization, with all these very laws, freedoms, rights and protections. In England Muslims are rapidly becoming a powerful minority, turning churches into mosques and demanding the right to freedoms they deny people in their own countries. They demand--and England, for one, is allowing them--the right to apply sharia law of Muslim theocracy within the democracies within which they live.
Added on June 23, 2010:
ONLY IN--DEARBORN, MICHIGAN?
I skimmed the following article, thinking the "Arab Festival" it mentioned was somewhere in the Middle East. But--Dearborn, Michigan?
The police chief confirmed that four arrests were made, saying "They did cause a stir." The four, who are part of a Christian group called Acts 17 Apologetics, were released on bail.
According to eyewitnesses, the four were handing out a booklet containing the gospel of John on the festival grounds -- which were primarily tents and booths set up on the public streets of Dearborn. The would-be evangelists were surrounded by green-shirted security personnel hired by the Festival, who taunted the four and gave shouts of "Allahu Akbar" when they were arrested.
Prior to the festival (attended predominantly by Muslim Arab-Americans), a U.S. district judge in Dearborn issued a ban on groups distributing literature on sidewalks and local officials required a five-block distance for anyone wanting to distribute literature. The four were within the festival grounds.
David Wood, one of the four arrested, has said, "There are certain elements of Sharia law being adhered to in Dearborn." The four now have legal representation.
(Emphasis added.) What's the penalty going to be in the near future for handing out the gospel of John on public sidewalks? Amputation of the hand?
Do you want sharia law in this country?
Dear Friends,
As with all things, God has an agenda for Israel. And Satan has an agenda for Israel. God's agenda is to bless Israel and through her, the whole world. Satan's agenda for Israel is its elimination and the total annihilation of the Jews. Hmm, where have we heard this agenda before? How many Jews were slaughtered and how many years of death and disruption of the entire world did it take to stop the carnage after England tried appeasement with Hitler and found it does not work with madmen? Yet a new Third Reich has arisen to threaten the world. Hamas and Hezbollah are publicly committed to the extermination of the Jews:
"The annihilation of the Jews here in Palestine
is one of the most splendid blessings for Palestine.
This will be followed by a greater blessing,
Allah be praised, with the establishment of a
Caliphate that will rule the land and will be pleasing
to men and God." Hamas cleric Muhsen Abu 'Ita,
on Al-Aqsa TV, July 13, 2008 (one sample of many).
Read also Hamas charter.
Does it come as a surprise that these same radical Muslims deny the fact of the Holocaust, even claiming they are victims of a holocaust? Or that they attribute 9/11 to the Jews and to Americans, the targets of the attack? Or that the seemingly random attacks on multiplied airliners, embassies, trade centers, hotels, restaurants and innocent civilians around the world are being perpetrated by inter-related Muslim organizations?
These fantaics for Allah are committed, in fact, to the annihilation of Western civilization.
Did I just hear you snort in derision? Think it's unlikely? far-fetched? ridiculous? Just because most "conspiracy theories" are figments of paranoia doesn't mean conspiracies never happen.
Go to TheThirdJihad.com and watch the video clips. Then order and watch both Obsession (the radical goal of destroying Western civilization) and The Third Jihad (how they are realizing this goal from within our own country).
Satan's agenda is and has always been to kill, steal and destroy. His method is and has always been lies and deception. Our apathy or willful ignorance certainly makes it easier for him.
In our own country, radical Muslims are taking advantage of our rights to freedom of speech and religion to openly advocate the violent overthrow of Western civilization, with all these very laws, freedoms, rights and protections. In England Muslims are rapidly becoming a powerful minority, turning churches into mosques and demanding the right to freedoms they deny people in their own countries. They demand--and England, for one, is allowing them--the right to apply sharia law of Muslim theocracy within the democracies within which they live.
Added on June 23, 2010:
ONLY IN--DEARBORN, MICHIGAN?
I skimmed the following article, thinking the "Arab Festival" it mentioned was somewhere in the Middle East. But--Dearborn, Michigan?
Prayer Alert - Christians Taken Away in Handcuffs, Cameras Confiscated, for sharing the Gospel on U.S. Soil.
The Detroit Free Press reports that four Christian missionaries who were trying to share the Good News of Christ to Muslims were arrested and jailed Friday for disorderly conduct at the Arab Festival in Dearborn.The police chief confirmed that four arrests were made, saying "They did cause a stir." The four, who are part of a Christian group called Acts 17 Apologetics, were released on bail.
According to eyewitnesses, the four were handing out a booklet containing the gospel of John on the festival grounds -- which were primarily tents and booths set up on the public streets of Dearborn. The would-be evangelists were surrounded by green-shirted security personnel hired by the Festival, who taunted the four and gave shouts of "Allahu Akbar" when they were arrested.
Prior to the festival (attended predominantly by Muslim Arab-Americans), a U.S. district judge in Dearborn issued a ban on groups distributing literature on sidewalks and local officials required a five-block distance for anyone wanting to distribute literature. The four were within the festival grounds.
David Wood, one of the four arrested, has said, "There are certain elements of Sharia law being adhered to in Dearborn." The four now have legal representation.
(Emphasis added.) What's the penalty going to be in the near future for handing out the gospel of John on public sidewalks? Amputation of the hand?
Do you want sharia law in this country?
END-TIME ISRAEL - 2 - Messianic perspective
A Brand New Day / Ageless Message
Many of us can relate to periods of our life when we sit and contemplate where we are at in life. Sometimes we sit on the mountain peaks, while other times we are in the valleys. Through the mountains and the valleys, we can see the hand of G-d. We can see His tapestry masterfully woven together and can see how all the pieces have been perfectly connected. During the times in the valleys, we cannot see past the next hill, and we have to trust HaShem to get us through. When we are on the mountain peak, we can see the past and even get a glimpse of the future. It takes so much more faith when you are in those valleys.
As believers in Messiah Yeshua, we understand that reading the Tenach is like looking out over the valley, but not being able to grasp what is ahead. As believers, we sit on the mountaintop called the Brit Chadasha [Newer Covenant] and looking back we see the Tenach in a totally different perspective. We see that there is ONE Messiah who plays two roles: the suffering servant [Isaiah 53] and the Conquering King [Zechariah 14].
The Jewish people only see the latter.
The reality of the Messiah being killed is so clearly stated as you read through Isaiah, Zechariah, and Daniel that the ancient rabbis tried to reconcile it by agreeing that there were two Messiahs: Ben David [the King] and Ben Joseph [one that would be killed in battle]. Due to nearsightedness in the valley, one may come to this conclusion. When you are on the peak, how simple it is to see that Yeshua, the Servant and the King, are all the same!
Many ancient Rabbis interpreted scriptures in the Tenach as being Messianic. Today, modern Judaism has reinvented itself. It has embraced humanistic thinking and even has classical Greek thought tossed in. Temple Aviv Judea began in 1978 as one of the first Messianic congregations since the first century CE. In the past two thousand years we have witnessed a grave distortion of the truth. We have seen the Jews put their faith and emphasis in rabbinical writings written by men, instead of directing their focus on the Tenach, the Word of G-d. We have seen the church cut themselves off from the root [the Jewish faith] and in doing so, alienating the "apple of G-d’s eye", the Jewish people.
G-d is lifting up the Messianics [Jewish and Gentile believers] in the end times, so He can teach the Church, so they can repent; and for the Jewish people to find the true faith of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, so that they all might be saved. Join us at Temple Aviv Judea for this heavenly mission.
As believers in Messiah Yeshua, we understand that reading the Tenach is like looking out over the valley, but not being able to grasp what is ahead. As believers, we sit on the mountaintop called the Brit Chadasha [Newer Covenant] and looking back we see the Tenach in a totally different perspective. We see that there is ONE Messiah who plays two roles: the suffering servant [Isaiah 53] and the Conquering King [Zechariah 14].
The Jewish people only see the latter.
The reality of the Messiah being killed is so clearly stated as you read through Isaiah, Zechariah, and Daniel that the ancient rabbis tried to reconcile it by agreeing that there were two Messiahs: Ben David [the King] and Ben Joseph [one that would be killed in battle]. Due to nearsightedness in the valley, one may come to this conclusion. When you are on the peak, how simple it is to see that Yeshua, the Servant and the King, are all the same!
Many ancient Rabbis interpreted scriptures in the Tenach as being Messianic. Today, modern Judaism has reinvented itself. It has embraced humanistic thinking and even has classical Greek thought tossed in. Temple Aviv Judea began in 1978 as one of the first Messianic congregations since the first century CE. In the past two thousand years we have witnessed a grave distortion of the truth. We have seen the Jews put their faith and emphasis in rabbinical writings written by men, instead of directing their focus on the Tenach, the Word of G-d. We have seen the church cut themselves off from the root [the Jewish faith] and in doing so, alienating the "apple of G-d’s eye", the Jewish people.
G-d is lifting up the Messianics [Jewish and Gentile believers] in the end times, so He can teach the Church, so they can repent; and for the Jewish people to find the true faith of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, so that they all might be saved. Join us at Temple Aviv Judea for this heavenly mission.
Temple Aviv Judea
Our Core Values
Temple Aviv Judea values Prayer, Proclamation and People. These three principles also reflect the ministry of Yeshua.
We value the power of tefillah (prayer). We have the blessed assurance that if we ask, He will hear us (1Yochanan 5:14-15).
Temple Aviv Judea is a synagogue, which is committed to authentic Jewish worship on the Biblical Shabbat (Sabbath). We observe all of the Moedim (Feasts) of the L-rd as set forth in Vayikra (Leviticus) 23.
Temple Aviv Judea is a "Torah-conforming" congregation. We are committed to the Biblical truth of the covenant between YHVH and the children of Israel, as the unconditional, irrevocable, uncompromising, sound, absolute, Biblical truth.
Temple Aviv Judea is committed to the B’sorat HaMashiach (Good News of the Messiah) by effectively and lovingly proclaiming the fullness and Jewishness of Yeshua Ha’Maschiach – to the Jew first, and also to the Nations.
Temple Aviv Judea is committed to maintaining a loving community.
Faithful attendance to Temple Aviv Judea as our primary place of worship is essential to becoming part of our Mishpachah (family).
As a family we care, serve, discover and meet the needs of each other, the body of Messiah, the Jewish community locally and worldwide.
Temple Aviv Judea adheres to the Hebraic Biblical model of leadership, as set forth in the first century (Acts 2).
END-TIME ISRAEL - 1 - Miracles Happening in Israel
To follow breaking news regarding Israel, go to the official site of the IDF (Israeli Defense Forces).
Dear Faithful Remnant (about half of those on our mailing list did not want to continue receiving these end-time essays),
Isn't it amazing that Israel is more in the news than ever--just as the Bible predicted it would be in the end times? What human Nostradamus could have foreseen that Israel would become the flashpoint of history thousands of years after the Jews were dispersed throughout the world? Jews are hated more than ever and targeted for annihilation by radical Muslims. The Bible says in the last days every nation will turn against Israel. Even though America is not mentioned in prophecy, this must mean America will also turn against Israel.
Yet God is abundantly blessing Israel. We were there last May for the 60th anniversary of the founding of the state. Israel was greener than Ireland, which we had visited the preceding May! We saw with our own eyes and heard how the deserts, as prophesied by Scripture and fulfilled by modern technology, are "blooming like a rose." We heard how the people who were denied asylum in every country in the world during World War 2 are now pouring into their own state by the millions from countries around the world and are being welcomed and assimilated with miraculous ease, finding jobs and homes and adapting to the culture and language.
To know what is to come, we who are steeped in and believe God's Word need only follow what is happening in and to Israel. We must be faithful to pray for the peace of Jerusalem and never abandon the Jews. They are the center of God's eye (the alternative reading, "apple of God's eye," makes no sense to me), the pupil or focus through which He views the whole world.
MIRACLES ARE HAPPENING IN ISRAEL!
By Dena Gewanter, M.D.
Kiriat Yam, Israel
While the media in the West are lambasting Israel for killing women and children, and are saturating their viewers with horrific photos of bloodied corpses, Israel as a nation is undergoing an astonishing spiritual awakening as a result of this conflict. It is a pity that the world is unable to be witness to the miracles that are occurring here daily. Even the most jaded person would be amazed at the transformation of the people in this country.
After many years of feeling the underdog and fearful of the approbation of the outside world, Israel is undergoing an absolute renaissance on a personal and national level. First and foremost, Israel as a nation has finally decided to throw aside the fear of being rejected by the nations and embrace its sovereign right to defend its citizens against terrorist attacks. That is so astonishing for those who know Jews and particularly Israelis. A whopping 92% of Jewish Israelis actually AGREE that the war is necessary and just. The adage of 2 Jews, 3 opinions and 4 political parties has vaporized in the face of the national crisis we are in. Not only is there agreement among the populace, but also the left wing and the right wing of the political spheres agree.
Even more amazing is the concordance among the various religious factions: Ashkenazi, Sephardic, reform and conservative, Zionists and anti-Zionist Jews are all joining together in prayer and supplication to the Almighty for salvation, protection, and victory over our enemies. There are calls to prayer everywhere, regardless of denomination or ethnic background, everyone is united in looking towards the God of Israel to keep our soldiers safe and help us win against an evil enemy who has sworn never to stop until Israel as a nation is destroyed.
The soldiers themselves seem to have a huge spiritual hunger, and are unified in not only asking for prayer but also praying themselves, wearing tzitzit (prayer tassels) into battle and carrying the book of Psalms with them. The Rabbis are calling the tzitzit "heavenly flak jackets"! Tent synagogues on the battlefield have no less than 10 sessions every morning, and it is reported that soldiers who never attended synagogue are now praying with tefillim (prayers). They have reason to cry out to God, since everyone is aware of the years of preparation of the bloodthirsty Hamas militants, their desire to kill, maim or kidnap Israeli soldiers is greater than their desire to live; they have been financed by Iran and supported by Syria and Hezbollah.
Yet, we are defeating them, and there are reports daily of amazing miracles of protection and Divine direction during the battle. The following are just a few examples:
--A Hamas map was found, with booby-traps, landmines and sniper positions clearly spelled out. The IDF was able to counter each installation due to the information given.
--A large platoon of soldiers not realizing they were resting in a school that was booby-trapped, (discovered by a soldier relieving himself in the night), disarmed the bombs with no one hurt.
--A single soldier successfully fought off several Hamas terrorists trying to drag him into a tunnel, and all were captured.
--Hundreds of tunnels were found, hidden in homes under beds and kitchen cabinets, all full of live explosives and ammunition, yet none have exploded with IDF soldiers inside.
While there have been soldiers wounded, there are miracles there as well:
--A young man who moved here alone from England less than 2 years ago to serve in the army was in an explosion and thrown into the air. After being carried off the field by other soldiers and transported on a tractor to helicopter and then to hospital, the doctors were utterly stunned when they saw that a piece of shrapnel that went completely through his neck missed the carotid artery, the jugular vein and the spinal cord by millimeters. After they removed it, he needed only stritches.
--Another soldier was shot through the back but the bullet missed his spinal cord and exited from the front.
--A young newlywed, in grave condition, inexplicably turned for the better and will recover to go home to his wife.
--On the ground level, bombs continue to fall, but here again, miracle after miracle is reported even on the local news. One hears the word "nes" (miracle) over and over by the reporters and the bystanders.
--A bomb heading toward 4 apartment buildings goes into a sewer pipe and explodes underground, damaging nothing above ground.
--An elderly woman caught in an apartment completely demolished by a bomb, walks out with scratches on her ankle.
--The mayor of Beersheva felt he should cancel school one day, and a rocket completely destroys an empty kindergarten.
--The elder housing complex that was hit in Nahariya had the sleeping quarters destroyed, but everyone had just gone to breakfast so no one was injured.
--A man and his daughter leave his car and the car was blown up moments later after they entered a bomb shelter. If they had taken a few more seconds, he and his daughter would have been burned to a crisp. He was televised saying again and again it was a miracle.
Similar stories like these were heard during the second Lebanon war, reported on Israeli radio and television, but no one in the west ever heard; only negative propaganda from the terrorists was reported, whose aim was to malign Israel and make us look like a national of bloodthirsty killers. One has to grieve over the terrible destruction of the cities in Gaza and the horrific human tragedy going on there, but the responsibility for the suffering and death is directly on the doorstep of the Hamas leadership. These deluded people think that their god, Allah, will give them victory, and have entered into a battle with the true God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob that they will never win. We are literally living in times like those of the scripture, when the Lord told Elisha all the plans of the enemy, until they began to wonder if there was a spy in their ranks.
There is hope here and unity of resolve, not despair. Even the parents of Yoni Natanel, killed by friendly fire, were quoted as saying that their son died "for the sanctification of God's name," and forgave and blessed those who accidentally fired at his unit.
There is such heroism and courage here, one wishes that the world could see it, but as one of our journalists said, the media have left their brains at the door of Ben Gurion Airport. They are many miles away from the actual battle, wear flak jackets and helmets for the cameras, and then take them off to have cappuccino at the local restaurant! Fortunately, Israelis are accustomed to being misunderstood and maligned by the outside world. At this point, everyone knows we have a job to do, and we are becoming more and more aware that a greater Power than us is on our side. We are fulfilling our commission to be a "Light to the Nations."
Israel learned from the failure of the Lebanon war, and prepared well to fight the terrorists who clearly said they wanted to destroy us. The rest of the nations have not remembered the threats of Hitler, and how the Jewish people were almost wiped out because no one wanted to believe he actually meant what he said. Contrary to those who want to hide their heads in the sands of political correctness, there is a right and a wrong side in this conflict. It is a battle between darkness and light. Fortunately, we have a God who was never wishy-washy about defending Israel against her enemies, when His People cried out to Him for help.
The outside world is missing the miracle of a righteous God who hears the prayers of the humble, and defends what is His!
"If My people, who are called by My Name, will 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" (2 Chronicles 7:14).
Dena Gewanter, M.D.
Kiriat Yam, Israel
Dear Faithful Remnant (about half of those on our mailing list did not want to continue receiving these end-time essays),
Isn't it amazing that Israel is more in the news than ever--just as the Bible predicted it would be in the end times? What human Nostradamus could have foreseen that Israel would become the flashpoint of history thousands of years after the Jews were dispersed throughout the world? Jews are hated more than ever and targeted for annihilation by radical Muslims. The Bible says in the last days every nation will turn against Israel. Even though America is not mentioned in prophecy, this must mean America will also turn against Israel.
Yet God is abundantly blessing Israel. We were there last May for the 60th anniversary of the founding of the state. Israel was greener than Ireland, which we had visited the preceding May! We saw with our own eyes and heard how the deserts, as prophesied by Scripture and fulfilled by modern technology, are "blooming like a rose." We heard how the people who were denied asylum in every country in the world during World War 2 are now pouring into their own state by the millions from countries around the world and are being welcomed and assimilated with miraculous ease, finding jobs and homes and adapting to the culture and language.
To know what is to come, we who are steeped in and believe God's Word need only follow what is happening in and to Israel. We must be faithful to pray for the peace of Jerusalem and never abandon the Jews. They are the center of God's eye (the alternative reading, "apple of God's eye," makes no sense to me), the pupil or focus through which He views the whole world.
MIRACLES ARE HAPPENING IN ISRAEL!
By Dena Gewanter, M.D.
Kiriat Yam, Israel
While the media in the West are lambasting Israel for killing women and children, and are saturating their viewers with horrific photos of bloodied corpses, Israel as a nation is undergoing an astonishing spiritual awakening as a result of this conflict. It is a pity that the world is unable to be witness to the miracles that are occurring here daily. Even the most jaded person would be amazed at the transformation of the people in this country.
After many years of feeling the underdog and fearful of the approbation of the outside world, Israel is undergoing an absolute renaissance on a personal and national level. First and foremost, Israel as a nation has finally decided to throw aside the fear of being rejected by the nations and embrace its sovereign right to defend its citizens against terrorist attacks. That is so astonishing for those who know Jews and particularly Israelis. A whopping 92% of Jewish Israelis actually AGREE that the war is necessary and just. The adage of 2 Jews, 3 opinions and 4 political parties has vaporized in the face of the national crisis we are in. Not only is there agreement among the populace, but also the left wing and the right wing of the political spheres agree.
Even more amazing is the concordance among the various religious factions: Ashkenazi, Sephardic, reform and conservative, Zionists and anti-Zionist Jews are all joining together in prayer and supplication to the Almighty for salvation, protection, and victory over our enemies. There are calls to prayer everywhere, regardless of denomination or ethnic background, everyone is united in looking towards the God of Israel to keep our soldiers safe and help us win against an evil enemy who has sworn never to stop until Israel as a nation is destroyed.
The soldiers themselves seem to have a huge spiritual hunger, and are unified in not only asking for prayer but also praying themselves, wearing tzitzit (prayer tassels) into battle and carrying the book of Psalms with them. The Rabbis are calling the tzitzit "heavenly flak jackets"! Tent synagogues on the battlefield have no less than 10 sessions every morning, and it is reported that soldiers who never attended synagogue are now praying with tefillim (prayers). They have reason to cry out to God, since everyone is aware of the years of preparation of the bloodthirsty Hamas militants, their desire to kill, maim or kidnap Israeli soldiers is greater than their desire to live; they have been financed by Iran and supported by Syria and Hezbollah.
Yet, we are defeating them, and there are reports daily of amazing miracles of protection and Divine direction during the battle. The following are just a few examples:
--A Hamas map was found, with booby-traps, landmines and sniper positions clearly spelled out. The IDF was able to counter each installation due to the information given.
--A large platoon of soldiers not realizing they were resting in a school that was booby-trapped, (discovered by a soldier relieving himself in the night), disarmed the bombs with no one hurt.
--A single soldier successfully fought off several Hamas terrorists trying to drag him into a tunnel, and all were captured.
--Hundreds of tunnels were found, hidden in homes under beds and kitchen cabinets, all full of live explosives and ammunition, yet none have exploded with IDF soldiers inside.
While there have been soldiers wounded, there are miracles there as well:
--A young man who moved here alone from England less than 2 years ago to serve in the army was in an explosion and thrown into the air. After being carried off the field by other soldiers and transported on a tractor to helicopter and then to hospital, the doctors were utterly stunned when they saw that a piece of shrapnel that went completely through his neck missed the carotid artery, the jugular vein and the spinal cord by millimeters. After they removed it, he needed only stritches.
--Another soldier was shot through the back but the bullet missed his spinal cord and exited from the front.
--A young newlywed, in grave condition, inexplicably turned for the better and will recover to go home to his wife.
--On the ground level, bombs continue to fall, but here again, miracle after miracle is reported even on the local news. One hears the word "nes" (miracle) over and over by the reporters and the bystanders.
--A bomb heading toward 4 apartment buildings goes into a sewer pipe and explodes underground, damaging nothing above ground.
--An elderly woman caught in an apartment completely demolished by a bomb, walks out with scratches on her ankle.
--The mayor of Beersheva felt he should cancel school one day, and a rocket completely destroys an empty kindergarten.
--The elder housing complex that was hit in Nahariya had the sleeping quarters destroyed, but everyone had just gone to breakfast so no one was injured.
--A man and his daughter leave his car and the car was blown up moments later after they entered a bomb shelter. If they had taken a few more seconds, he and his daughter would have been burned to a crisp. He was televised saying again and again it was a miracle.
Similar stories like these were heard during the second Lebanon war, reported on Israeli radio and television, but no one in the west ever heard; only negative propaganda from the terrorists was reported, whose aim was to malign Israel and make us look like a national of bloodthirsty killers. One has to grieve over the terrible destruction of the cities in Gaza and the horrific human tragedy going on there, but the responsibility for the suffering and death is directly on the doorstep of the Hamas leadership. These deluded people think that their god, Allah, will give them victory, and have entered into a battle with the true God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob that they will never win. We are literally living in times like those of the scripture, when the Lord told Elisha all the plans of the enemy, until they began to wonder if there was a spy in their ranks.
There is hope here and unity of resolve, not despair. Even the parents of Yoni Natanel, killed by friendly fire, were quoted as saying that their son died "for the sanctification of God's name," and forgave and blessed those who accidentally fired at his unit.
There is such heroism and courage here, one wishes that the world could see it, but as one of our journalists said, the media have left their brains at the door of Ben Gurion Airport. They are many miles away from the actual battle, wear flak jackets and helmets for the cameras, and then take them off to have cappuccino at the local restaurant! Fortunately, Israelis are accustomed to being misunderstood and maligned by the outside world. At this point, everyone knows we have a job to do, and we are becoming more and more aware that a greater Power than us is on our side. We are fulfilling our commission to be a "Light to the Nations."
Israel learned from the failure of the Lebanon war, and prepared well to fight the terrorists who clearly said they wanted to destroy us. The rest of the nations have not remembered the threats of Hitler, and how the Jewish people were almost wiped out because no one wanted to believe he actually meant what he said. Contrary to those who want to hide their heads in the sands of political correctness, there is a right and a wrong side in this conflict. It is a battle between darkness and light. Fortunately, we have a God who was never wishy-washy about defending Israel against her enemies, when His People cried out to Him for help.
The outside world is missing the miracle of a righteous God who hears the prayers of the humble, and defends what is His!
"If My people, who are called by My Name, will 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" (2 Chronicles 7:14).
Dena Gewanter, M.D.
Kiriat Yam, Israel
Sunday, December 21, 2008
JOY IN PERSECUTION - (5 of 5)
"I hope nobody calls me a hero, because I know the facts about the bitterness that blazed in my heart that year. I knew, for example, that I was supposed to forgive my captors but the truth is that I often hated them not only for snatching me away from my family and the simple comforts of a life I loved, but also for forcing me to see a side of myself I didn't like. There was a Gracia I barely knew existed: fearful Gracia, selfish Gracia, bitter Gracia, angry-at-God Gracia. Every once in a while, Martin and I talked about the fruit of the Holy Spirit as listed in Galatians 5 and how much we wanted to see love, joy and peace in our lives. 'All I see is sadness and grief and sorrow,' I'd say. 'How can we produce the opposite?' We couldn't force joyfulness or loving action or a peaceful mind. The Holy Spirit had to grow these things within us. I begged the Lord at times, 'Please just give me some peace. I can't find it in my own heart. I can't find long-suffering. I feel anything but gentle right now. Please work some gentleness into my life. Give me some joy in the middle of this horrible situation.' And he did." Gracia Burnham, In the Presence of My Enemies.
Dear brothers and sisters,
The key to joy in suffering is to embrace the suffering as God's will for you. Yiu Zhenling, known as Brother Yun, committed his life to Jesus Christ at 16 and began to memorize the Bible, one chapter per day. In his first year as a Christian he led 2,000 people to Christ. He began the underground church in Communist China and became the country's most-wanted man. Imprisoned three times, he was interrogated, threatened, kicked, brutally beaten and tortured with electric batons almost daily. But, like the apostle Paul, Yun's attitude was, "I am not your prisoner. I am a prisoner of the Lord!" He saw everything that happened to him as a privilege, not just allowed but caused by a loving Father who used these things to draw him into the sufferings of Christ, with the promise of the glory of Christ to follow.
From Yun's first day in Nanyang Prison, God led him to "fast and pray for the advance of the gospel, that thousands of souls would experience salvation, and that the house churches throughout China would be victorious. Yun did not touch food or water for 74 days. "In those days," he told his biographer, "I was just like a baby sleeping in the arms of his mother, peacefully suckling at his mother's bosom. My spirit was full of joy and thanksgiving as I magnified the Lord. Yun's toughest time was on the 38th day when the devil hissed in his ear, "Yun, Jesus fasted 40 days. How can you as a servant do more than the Master? Will you try to outdo your master?" Yun was in such intense spiritual battle he considered suicide. But the Lord spoke Revelation 3:8 to him, "I know your deeds. See, I hve placed before you an open door that no man can shut. I know that you have little strength, yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name." When he heard these words, Yun said his heart was filled with joy. "I felt like a little boy whose father has taken a stand for him against bullies." At that moment he had a powerful vision of a series of iron gates opening, one after another.
At the end of his fast, Yun weighed 66 pounds. His mother and wife could not recognize him. "During the long fast, my days were full of struggle, miracles, dreams, visions, and revelation from the Lord. I experienced his strength every day. My body was getting smaller and smaller, but my spirit was enlarged and strong." After all this time he was finally brought to trial. "I was bound and taken to the court in a motor-tricycle, with armed guards on either side of me. My cell mates were praying earnestly for me. I felt great joy in my heart. The (court) said I would receive either life imprisonment or the death sentence. I was amazed when the judge announced, "Yun, we sentence you to four years' imprisonment with hard labor!" Only four years! I couldn't believe it! I was full of joy because God had given me hope for future ministry throughout China. The Lord had more work for me to do! As I was driven back to the prison I had a feeling of overwhelming joy and thankfulness for the Lord's mercy."
Yun said those four years went fast and once free he worked tirelessly to evangelize, disciple and train others to win souls. As a result of his refusal to curtail his activities, he was arrested many times and imprisoned twice more. The second time, God commanded him to repent. He was battered, bruised, broken, in a prison cell with murderers and rapists who hated and abused him and God was telling him to repent? Why didn't he just give Yun comfort and reassurance of his love? But Yun realized he harbored contempt for the men in his cell and he repented. Repentance released in him a whole new level of closeness with the Lord and realization of what God was doing in his life. As a result of his obedience, he started seeing the men in a new way, with God's eyes. He started praying for them and sharing his meager food with them. The Lord used him to heal some of them and eventually they all came to faith in Jesus Christ. Their cell became heaven on earth. "One day I was sharing the gospel with a group of prisoners. The joy of the Lord was in my heart. Several guards commented, 'Look, this criminal is even happier that we are, and we are free!" As a result, some of them also believed. After his release from prison Yun would say he missed the time with those men so much he longed to return and visit them. "My first four years had been like Joseph when he was thrown into prison, slandered, and persecuted. But my second term was like Joseph when God exalted him and placed him in a position of influence and authority."
Outside the prison, Yun's steadfast example and his refusal to betray or implicate others gave Christians courage and fanned the flames of revival. His prayers while fasting were being answered exponentially. With no promise of financial support, new Christian workers went everywhere openly risking persecution by preaching the gospel. "We are not afraid of going hungry or of being beaten," they said. "We are willing to die for the gospel! We are only afraid of going without God's presence. Please pry he will be with us every day." By January 2000 the house churches estimated their members numbered 58 million!
Meanwhile, imprisoned a third time, Yun hit bottom spiritually and emotionally. He had escaped once and refused to promise not to try again so guards mercilessly beat his lower legs with batons, breaking and crushing the bones. "I lay on the ground screaming like a wounded animal. Excruciating pain surged through my body and mind. All I could do was try to focus my thoughts on the Lord Jesus and his suffering on the cross. I thought I was going to die but the Lord sustained me." He was so crippled his legs were "black and unusable. I couldn't even stand up, let alone walk." He had to be carried to the toilet--and to the room where he was tortured every day. Crushed in spirit as well as in body, he cried out to God, "I can't take it any more!" And the Lord answered, "Do not throw away your confidence. It will be richly rewarded" and "Surely I will deliver you for a good purpose."
Then, on the morning of May 5, 1997, the Lord told Yun, "This is the hour of your salvation. Go now! The God of Peter is your God!" The vision God had given Yun of iron gates opening, one after another, became a reality. The man who could not walk, could hardly crawl, stood up and walked, as if in a dream, out of the Zhengzhou Number One Maximum Security Prison, climbed into a taxi and asked to be driven to the home of Christian friends. Just like Peter, he stood at the door while a young girl, seeing who was there, left him standing while she ran inside to tell others that their brother was free! One eye-witness wrote, "I couldn't believe it when I saw Yun walking out! There were probably thirty prison guards in the yard at the time, but no one noticed Yun escape! He even walked right past several of them," and another wrote, "The prison authorities had mocked the Lord and Yun when they smashed his legs. They said, 'We'd like to see you escape now!" The Lord is always up to a challenge!"
Yun did not realize until afterward that the Lord must have healed his legs in his cell. "I marveled at God's goodness and faithfulness to me," he writes. "To this day I consider my escape from prison the most amazing experience of my life. That night I slept like a content newborn baby in the arms of my Lord."
When I think of the promise of Jesus Christ that we will do even greater things than he did on earth, I think of Brothr Yun. His autobiography, The Heavenly Man, written with Paul Hattaway and pulished by Monarch Books, reads like "Second Acts."
In Scripture, if we embrace it as Jesus did, suffering and joy are bonded together: "Jesus. . . for the JOY set before him endured the cross, scorning the shame." (Hebrews 12:2)
Read these verses together. They are written to you and me: "Dear friends, do not be surprised at the painful trial you are suffering, as though something strange were happening to you'" (I Peter 4:12) "To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example that you should follow in his steps. (I Peter 2:21).
For those of us who follow Jesus in suffering, the joy to which we can look forward, the anticipation of which motivates us to endure, has several component parts:
--It produces Christ-like character: Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance." (James 1:2-3)
--It exhibits God's glory and presence: "But rejoice that you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed. If you are insulted because of the name of Christ, you are blessed, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you" (I Peter 4:13-14).
--It promises us the kingdom and its rewards. "Blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you." (Matthew 5:10-12) and "Blessed are you when men hate you, when they exclude you and insult you and reject your name as evil, because of the Son of Man. Rejoice in that day and leap for joy, because great is your reward in heaven." (Luke 6:22-23)
So, as Much-Afraid did in Hannah Hurnard's classic, Hind's Feet on High Places, let your response to suffering be not only acceptance but Acceptance-with-Joy. Embrace it! For "the JOY of the Lord is your strength" (Nehemiah 8:10)
One of the desires of Jesus' heart, as he told the Father just before his crucifixion, is that his joy be made full in us (John 17:13)
.
Let it in: "Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: "Rejoice!" (Philippians 4:4)
"If our Heavenly Father does not permit it, who can do anything to you?" Brother Yun
Dear brothers and sisters,
The key to joy in suffering is to embrace the suffering as God's will for you. Yiu Zhenling, known as Brother Yun, committed his life to Jesus Christ at 16 and began to memorize the Bible, one chapter per day. In his first year as a Christian he led 2,000 people to Christ. He began the underground church in Communist China and became the country's most-wanted man. Imprisoned three times, he was interrogated, threatened, kicked, brutally beaten and tortured with electric batons almost daily. But, like the apostle Paul, Yun's attitude was, "I am not your prisoner. I am a prisoner of the Lord!" He saw everything that happened to him as a privilege, not just allowed but caused by a loving Father who used these things to draw him into the sufferings of Christ, with the promise of the glory of Christ to follow.
From Yun's first day in Nanyang Prison, God led him to "fast and pray for the advance of the gospel, that thousands of souls would experience salvation, and that the house churches throughout China would be victorious. Yun did not touch food or water for 74 days. "In those days," he told his biographer, "I was just like a baby sleeping in the arms of his mother, peacefully suckling at his mother's bosom. My spirit was full of joy and thanksgiving as I magnified the Lord. Yun's toughest time was on the 38th day when the devil hissed in his ear, "Yun, Jesus fasted 40 days. How can you as a servant do more than the Master? Will you try to outdo your master?" Yun was in such intense spiritual battle he considered suicide. But the Lord spoke Revelation 3:8 to him, "I know your deeds. See, I hve placed before you an open door that no man can shut. I know that you have little strength, yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name." When he heard these words, Yun said his heart was filled with joy. "I felt like a little boy whose father has taken a stand for him against bullies." At that moment he had a powerful vision of a series of iron gates opening, one after another.
At the end of his fast, Yun weighed 66 pounds. His mother and wife could not recognize him. "During the long fast, my days were full of struggle, miracles, dreams, visions, and revelation from the Lord. I experienced his strength every day. My body was getting smaller and smaller, but my spirit was enlarged and strong." After all this time he was finally brought to trial. "I was bound and taken to the court in a motor-tricycle, with armed guards on either side of me. My cell mates were praying earnestly for me. I felt great joy in my heart. The (court) said I would receive either life imprisonment or the death sentence. I was amazed when the judge announced, "Yun, we sentence you to four years' imprisonment with hard labor!" Only four years! I couldn't believe it! I was full of joy because God had given me hope for future ministry throughout China. The Lord had more work for me to do! As I was driven back to the prison I had a feeling of overwhelming joy and thankfulness for the Lord's mercy."
Yun said those four years went fast and once free he worked tirelessly to evangelize, disciple and train others to win souls. As a result of his refusal to curtail his activities, he was arrested many times and imprisoned twice more. The second time, God commanded him to repent. He was battered, bruised, broken, in a prison cell with murderers and rapists who hated and abused him and God was telling him to repent? Why didn't he just give Yun comfort and reassurance of his love? But Yun realized he harbored contempt for the men in his cell and he repented. Repentance released in him a whole new level of closeness with the Lord and realization of what God was doing in his life. As a result of his obedience, he started seeing the men in a new way, with God's eyes. He started praying for them and sharing his meager food with them. The Lord used him to heal some of them and eventually they all came to faith in Jesus Christ. Their cell became heaven on earth. "One day I was sharing the gospel with a group of prisoners. The joy of the Lord was in my heart. Several guards commented, 'Look, this criminal is even happier that we are, and we are free!" As a result, some of them also believed. After his release from prison Yun would say he missed the time with those men so much he longed to return and visit them. "My first four years had been like Joseph when he was thrown into prison, slandered, and persecuted. But my second term was like Joseph when God exalted him and placed him in a position of influence and authority."
Outside the prison, Yun's steadfast example and his refusal to betray or implicate others gave Christians courage and fanned the flames of revival. His prayers while fasting were being answered exponentially. With no promise of financial support, new Christian workers went everywhere openly risking persecution by preaching the gospel. "We are not afraid of going hungry or of being beaten," they said. "We are willing to die for the gospel! We are only afraid of going without God's presence. Please pry he will be with us every day." By January 2000 the house churches estimated their members numbered 58 million!
Meanwhile, imprisoned a third time, Yun hit bottom spiritually and emotionally. He had escaped once and refused to promise not to try again so guards mercilessly beat his lower legs with batons, breaking and crushing the bones. "I lay on the ground screaming like a wounded animal. Excruciating pain surged through my body and mind. All I could do was try to focus my thoughts on the Lord Jesus and his suffering on the cross. I thought I was going to die but the Lord sustained me." He was so crippled his legs were "black and unusable. I couldn't even stand up, let alone walk." He had to be carried to the toilet--and to the room where he was tortured every day. Crushed in spirit as well as in body, he cried out to God, "I can't take it any more!" And the Lord answered, "Do not throw away your confidence. It will be richly rewarded" and "Surely I will deliver you for a good purpose."
Then, on the morning of May 5, 1997, the Lord told Yun, "This is the hour of your salvation. Go now! The God of Peter is your God!" The vision God had given Yun of iron gates opening, one after another, became a reality. The man who could not walk, could hardly crawl, stood up and walked, as if in a dream, out of the Zhengzhou Number One Maximum Security Prison, climbed into a taxi and asked to be driven to the home of Christian friends. Just like Peter, he stood at the door while a young girl, seeing who was there, left him standing while she ran inside to tell others that their brother was free! One eye-witness wrote, "I couldn't believe it when I saw Yun walking out! There were probably thirty prison guards in the yard at the time, but no one noticed Yun escape! He even walked right past several of them," and another wrote, "The prison authorities had mocked the Lord and Yun when they smashed his legs. They said, 'We'd like to see you escape now!" The Lord is always up to a challenge!"
Yun did not realize until afterward that the Lord must have healed his legs in his cell. "I marveled at God's goodness and faithfulness to me," he writes. "To this day I consider my escape from prison the most amazing experience of my life. That night I slept like a content newborn baby in the arms of my Lord."
When I think of the promise of Jesus Christ that we will do even greater things than he did on earth, I think of Brothr Yun. His autobiography, The Heavenly Man, written with Paul Hattaway and pulished by Monarch Books, reads like "Second Acts."
In Scripture, if we embrace it as Jesus did, suffering and joy are bonded together: "Jesus. . . for the JOY set before him endured the cross, scorning the shame." (Hebrews 12:2)
Read these verses together. They are written to you and me: "Dear friends, do not be surprised at the painful trial you are suffering, as though something strange were happening to you'" (I Peter 4:12) "To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example that you should follow in his steps. (I Peter 2:21).
For those of us who follow Jesus in suffering, the joy to which we can look forward, the anticipation of which motivates us to endure, has several component parts:
--It produces Christ-like character: Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance." (James 1:2-3)
--It exhibits God's glory and presence: "But rejoice that you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed. If you are insulted because of the name of Christ, you are blessed, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you" (I Peter 4:13-14).
--It promises us the kingdom and its rewards. "Blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you." (Matthew 5:10-12) and "Blessed are you when men hate you, when they exclude you and insult you and reject your name as evil, because of the Son of Man. Rejoice in that day and leap for joy, because great is your reward in heaven." (Luke 6:22-23)
So, as Much-Afraid did in Hannah Hurnard's classic, Hind's Feet on High Places, let your response to suffering be not only acceptance but Acceptance-with-Joy. Embrace it! For "the JOY of the Lord is your strength" (Nehemiah 8:10)
One of the desires of Jesus' heart, as he told the Father just before his crucifixion, is that his joy be made full in us (John 17:13)
.
Let it in: "Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: "Rejoice!" (Philippians 4:4)
"If our Heavenly Father does not permit it, who can do anything to you?" Brother Yun
Friday, December 19, 2008
GOD'S PROVISION IN PERSECUTION - 4
Dear brothers and sisters,
In persecution, we have the opportunity to depend on God alone and in response, He provides for us. God provides His presence and leading. He promises to go through persecution with us and give us peace. He promises to fill our mouths with His words when we are put on trial: "When they arrest you and hand you over, do not worry beforehand about what you are to say, but say whatever is given to you in that hour; for it is not you who speak, but the Holy Spirit," Mark 13:11.
This provision may not look like what we expect. For Vek Huong and Samoeun Taing, abandoned by the Khmer Rouge in the jungles of Cambodia, the answer to their prayer for a "special meal" on their anniversary appalls us. But after two months of starvation, with nothing to eat but bark and grass, they thanked God for the "feast" He provided: the heads and skins of four dead rats. Part of God's gracious provision was certainly the ability to see His love in a dead rat. Part of this provision was certainly the perspective which produced gratitude.
God provides protection. On April 17, 1975, the entire population of Phnom Penh, Cambodia, was forced out of the city by the Khmer Rouge (Communists), including doctors, nurses, hospital patients. Women died giving birth by the side of the road. Everyone was evacuated except those who were shot. Altogether, two million "enemies of the state" were murdered at the command of Pol Pot, up to one-third of the population of Cambodia. This included not only those who had worked in the previous government but the rich, the religious and those considered well-educated-- teachers and college students, anyone who spoke a foreign language, even people who wore glasses. Vek Huong and Samoeun Taing were well-educated, Christian, spoke English and were on staff with a foreign Christian organization, Campus Crusade for Christ. Yet God protected their lives.
God provides direction. God directed the Taings (with their infant son) to go to Battambang, a city on the border of Thailand. At the train station in Pursat, solders were rounding people up and putting them on a train for Battambang. Vek Huong wrote afterward, "A Khmer Rouge soldier said to me quietly, 'For some reason, I feel concerned about you and want to warn you not to take the train to Battambang. You are being lied to. They'll drop you off in the jungle, and you'll die of starvation. Why don't you stay with me?' I knew I had to follow what I believed to be God's will. I thanked the soldier profusely for his kindness, but said that I felt we must go on. As Samoeun and I stepped aboard the train, the soldier shook his head, and as his eyes followed me, they were filled with sadness, communicating fear of what might lie ahead for us. Eighteen miles before Battambang the Khmer Rouge ordered everyone off the train--and told us we were to be left there, just as my soldier friend had predicted. The area was thick jungle. . ."
God provides food: In the jungle, Vek Huong and Samoeun "became concerned over the lack of nutrition (6-month old) Wiphousana was receiving, since our small daily portions of rice could be supplemented only by boiled leaves and grass. So we prayed. One day I thought, 'Why not try fishing for Wiphousana in the paddies?' It was really a laughable idea, because the largest fish ever seen in the shallow waters was two to three inches long at the most. But the first day I tried it, I caught a fish that was 8-10 inches in length. And every day for the next two months, God provided a fish about that size--just one fish every day.'"
God provides allies: (After two months of near starvation, the Taings escaped to the train station to try to press on to Battambang.) "A guard at the station reminded us that those traveling without a Khmer Rouge permission slip were often killed on sight. I replied to the guard that we didn't have permission but if we stayed in the jungle we would die anyway. A train pulled into the station but it was filled entirely with Khmer Rouge soldiers! Suddenly a soldier jumped off one of the cars and ran over to us. It was the soldier who in Pursat had warned us about taking the train to Battambang! As he ran toward us, he called out to Samoeun, 'Sister, sister! Where have you been?' He told the guard we were his relatives. He gave us his ID and a permission slip, and we climbed on the train with him. We rode to Battambang in safety--and wonder."
Four years after the fall of Phnom Penh, the Taings made it across the border from Battambang to a refugee camp in Thailand from which they could let CCC know they were alive. Subsequently Vek Huong Taing became Founder and National Director of Cambodia Campus Crusade for Christ for twenty years. (Excerpts from Taing, Ordeal in Cambodia.) Since this book was written, Taing and his wife have directed New Life Missions, conducting major evangelistic meetings, leadership conferences, symposiums, and seminars across the provinces and boundaries of Cambodia. They have trained national pastors, staffs, evangelists, teachers, church workers, and dynamic leaders that now share their faith across Cambodia.
God provides healing: Dorothy Sun of China wrote, "I loved singing. My mother was a Western-style opera singer so I dreamed I would be a soprano soloist. During my imprisonment in the early 60s the police compelled us to praise the Communists and Mao Ze Dong with songs. I disliked those songs and disagreed that Mao is the savior. I have my savior Jesus. Instead of singing I was just shouting. The guard forced me to drink half a cup of pure vinegar with a mixture of grayish and red pepper powder. I vomited it out but two inmates pushed me down and opened my mouth with their hands, forcing me to swallow. They did this every night. After one month my voice became very hoarse. I almost totally lost my ability to speak, let alone being able to sing. At nights I said to my Lord, 'The only thing I had was my voice, which I dedicated to You since I was little but now that has also been taken away by Satan.' My voice was hoarse for over twenty years. In October, 1984 [after her release], the rehearsals of the 'Messiah' began (at church). . . my favorite opera. . . Whenever the choir had rehearsals I went there to listen. During the final rehearsals when the congregation joined with the choir, I could not control myself. I began to sing with them. It seemed that angels and a heavenly army also joined in singing with us. My tears tumbled down. I didn't care about my hoarse voice. But, suddenly I felt something eased and opened my throat so that I could sing notes higher and higher without difficulty. I could even hear my own voice and it wasn't hoarse anymore! Ever since then I have been singing hymns with my revived voice in my ministry to serve, praise and glorify the Lord!" Excerpted from Sun, Clay in the Potter's Hands.
Persecution is sometimes every bit as hard on the families of those sentenced to prison or slave labor camps for their faith. When Brother Yun was imprisoned for four years his wife and mother were rejected by their neighbors. But God fed them. With Yun's son, born three months after Yun's sentencing, the two women were left to run a farm by themselves. Deling, Yun's wife, writes, "Things were desperate! We had no clue what we were doing. We decided to plant sweet potatoes, but didn't know how to do it. I found out later that we should have planted the roots about two feet apart. I had planted them just a few inches apart! All summer long our neighbors mocked us and made fun of us! I was the butt of many jokes. Then in autumn, they started cursing because their sweet potatoes were only the size of tennis balls. Ours were almost the size of basketballs! It was a great miracle and everyone knew God had taken care of us. Our neighbors respected us more and didn't view my husband as a cursed criminal any more. They saw 'the distinction between the righteous and the wicked.' Malachi 3:18.
She continues, "Just a week before wheat harvest, a severe hailstorm struck. Ice the size of tennis balls fell from the sky. I rushed outside when the hail started and some of our neighbors' wheat fields had been completely flattened. Yun's mother and I fell to our knees and cried out, 'God, have mercy on us!' A great miracle happened. Our field was the only one protected by the Lord. All our wheat was standing upright, untouched by the hail. Everyone else's fields had been obliterated. People came out of their homes after the storm subsided and saw how the Lord Jesus Christ had protected us. It was another powerful testimony to them." Yun, The Heavenly Man.
God takes care of His people who have been widowed or orphaned for their faith. In 2001, Martin and Gracia Burnham, missionaries to the Philippines with New Tribes Mission, were kidnapped at gunpoint by the Abu Sayyhaf, a terrorist group with ties to Osama ben Laden. They spent a year on the run with the terrorists in the jungle, facing near-starvation, constant exhaustion, frequent gun battles and cold-hearted murder. Gracia was freed a year later and returned to "normal" life back in Kansas with their three children--and a gaping hole where her husband had been. He had been shot in the attempt to free them both. But God provided through individuals, church groups and merchants who built and furnished a home for them, bought them a van and "the Lord continues to meet our needs." Burnham, In the Presence of My Enemies, 2004.
We do not need to fear what we or our loved ones may experience. Casper ten Boom and his middle-aged daughters Corrie and Betsie helped Jews escape the Holocaust in Holland during World War 2. For this, the sisters would be sent to Ravensbruck concentration camp in Germany. Betsie would be taken Home from there in September, 1944. Corrie would be released three months later, on Christmas Day, and would survive until her 91st birthday, ministering around the world. In The Hiding Place (later made into a movie), Corrie records her memory of an event when she was six which gives us a perspective on our loving heavenly Father's promised provision:
"At last we heard Father's footsteps winding up the stairs. It was the best moment in every day, when he came up to tuck us in. We never fell asleep until he had arranged the blankets in his special way and laid his hand for a moment on each head. Then we tried not to move even a toe.
"But that night as he stepped through the door I burst into tears. 'I need you!' I sobbed. 'You can't die! You can't!'
"Father sat down on the edge of the narrow bed. 'Corrie,' he began gently, 'when you and I go to Amsterdam--when do I give you your ticket?'
"I sniffed a few times, considering this.
"'Why, just before we get on the train.'
"'Exactly. And our wise Father knows when we're going to need things, too. Don't run out ahead of Him, Corrie. When the time comes that some of us will have to die, you will look into your heart and find the strength you need--just in time.'"
Nearly fifty years later, her father was imprisoned and God took him Home ten days later. Corrie and her sister Betsie were in the same prison he was (although they hadn't known it) when they got the news. I'm sure her father's words came back to Corrie at that time, to comfort her in her loss.
God will provide everything we need--when we need it.
And God provides JOY in Persecution! (See next letter, 5th of 5)
"We ought to give thanks for all fortune: if it is 'good,' because it is good, if 'bad' because it works in us patience, humility, and the hope of our eternal country," C.S. Lewis to his good friend Don Giovanni Calabria, 10 August 1948.
In persecution, we have the opportunity to depend on God alone and in response, He provides for us. God provides His presence and leading. He promises to go through persecution with us and give us peace. He promises to fill our mouths with His words when we are put on trial: "When they arrest you and hand you over, do not worry beforehand about what you are to say, but say whatever is given to you in that hour; for it is not you who speak, but the Holy Spirit," Mark 13:11.
This provision may not look like what we expect. For Vek Huong and Samoeun Taing, abandoned by the Khmer Rouge in the jungles of Cambodia, the answer to their prayer for a "special meal" on their anniversary appalls us. But after two months of starvation, with nothing to eat but bark and grass, they thanked God for the "feast" He provided: the heads and skins of four dead rats. Part of God's gracious provision was certainly the ability to see His love in a dead rat. Part of this provision was certainly the perspective which produced gratitude.
God provides protection. On April 17, 1975, the entire population of Phnom Penh, Cambodia, was forced out of the city by the Khmer Rouge (Communists), including doctors, nurses, hospital patients. Women died giving birth by the side of the road. Everyone was evacuated except those who were shot. Altogether, two million "enemies of the state" were murdered at the command of Pol Pot, up to one-third of the population of Cambodia. This included not only those who had worked in the previous government but the rich, the religious and those considered well-educated-- teachers and college students, anyone who spoke a foreign language, even people who wore glasses. Vek Huong and Samoeun Taing were well-educated, Christian, spoke English and were on staff with a foreign Christian organization, Campus Crusade for Christ. Yet God protected their lives.
God provides direction. God directed the Taings (with their infant son) to go to Battambang, a city on the border of Thailand. At the train station in Pursat, solders were rounding people up and putting them on a train for Battambang. Vek Huong wrote afterward, "A Khmer Rouge soldier said to me quietly, 'For some reason, I feel concerned about you and want to warn you not to take the train to Battambang. You are being lied to. They'll drop you off in the jungle, and you'll die of starvation. Why don't you stay with me?' I knew I had to follow what I believed to be God's will. I thanked the soldier profusely for his kindness, but said that I felt we must go on. As Samoeun and I stepped aboard the train, the soldier shook his head, and as his eyes followed me, they were filled with sadness, communicating fear of what might lie ahead for us. Eighteen miles before Battambang the Khmer Rouge ordered everyone off the train--and told us we were to be left there, just as my soldier friend had predicted. The area was thick jungle. . ."
God provides food: In the jungle, Vek Huong and Samoeun "became concerned over the lack of nutrition (6-month old) Wiphousana was receiving, since our small daily portions of rice could be supplemented only by boiled leaves and grass. So we prayed. One day I thought, 'Why not try fishing for Wiphousana in the paddies?' It was really a laughable idea, because the largest fish ever seen in the shallow waters was two to three inches long at the most. But the first day I tried it, I caught a fish that was 8-10 inches in length. And every day for the next two months, God provided a fish about that size--just one fish every day.'"
God provides allies: (After two months of near starvation, the Taings escaped to the train station to try to press on to Battambang.) "A guard at the station reminded us that those traveling without a Khmer Rouge permission slip were often killed on sight. I replied to the guard that we didn't have permission but if we stayed in the jungle we would die anyway. A train pulled into the station but it was filled entirely with Khmer Rouge soldiers! Suddenly a soldier jumped off one of the cars and ran over to us. It was the soldier who in Pursat had warned us about taking the train to Battambang! As he ran toward us, he called out to Samoeun, 'Sister, sister! Where have you been?' He told the guard we were his relatives. He gave us his ID and a permission slip, and we climbed on the train with him. We rode to Battambang in safety--and wonder."
Four years after the fall of Phnom Penh, the Taings made it across the border from Battambang to a refugee camp in Thailand from which they could let CCC know they were alive. Subsequently Vek Huong Taing became Founder and National Director of Cambodia Campus Crusade for Christ for twenty years. (Excerpts from Taing, Ordeal in Cambodia.) Since this book was written, Taing and his wife have directed New Life Missions, conducting major evangelistic meetings, leadership conferences, symposiums, and seminars across the provinces and boundaries of Cambodia. They have trained national pastors, staffs, evangelists, teachers, church workers, and dynamic leaders that now share their faith across Cambodia.
God provides healing: Dorothy Sun of China wrote, "I loved singing. My mother was a Western-style opera singer so I dreamed I would be a soprano soloist. During my imprisonment in the early 60s the police compelled us to praise the Communists and Mao Ze Dong with songs. I disliked those songs and disagreed that Mao is the savior. I have my savior Jesus. Instead of singing I was just shouting. The guard forced me to drink half a cup of pure vinegar with a mixture of grayish and red pepper powder. I vomited it out but two inmates pushed me down and opened my mouth with their hands, forcing me to swallow. They did this every night. After one month my voice became very hoarse. I almost totally lost my ability to speak, let alone being able to sing. At nights I said to my Lord, 'The only thing I had was my voice, which I dedicated to You since I was little but now that has also been taken away by Satan.' My voice was hoarse for over twenty years. In October, 1984 [after her release], the rehearsals of the 'Messiah' began (at church). . . my favorite opera. . . Whenever the choir had rehearsals I went there to listen. During the final rehearsals when the congregation joined with the choir, I could not control myself. I began to sing with them. It seemed that angels and a heavenly army also joined in singing with us. My tears tumbled down. I didn't care about my hoarse voice. But, suddenly I felt something eased and opened my throat so that I could sing notes higher and higher without difficulty. I could even hear my own voice and it wasn't hoarse anymore! Ever since then I have been singing hymns with my revived voice in my ministry to serve, praise and glorify the Lord!" Excerpted from Sun, Clay in the Potter's Hands.
Persecution is sometimes every bit as hard on the families of those sentenced to prison or slave labor camps for their faith. When Brother Yun was imprisoned for four years his wife and mother were rejected by their neighbors. But God fed them. With Yun's son, born three months after Yun's sentencing, the two women were left to run a farm by themselves. Deling, Yun's wife, writes, "Things were desperate! We had no clue what we were doing. We decided to plant sweet potatoes, but didn't know how to do it. I found out later that we should have planted the roots about two feet apart. I had planted them just a few inches apart! All summer long our neighbors mocked us and made fun of us! I was the butt of many jokes. Then in autumn, they started cursing because their sweet potatoes were only the size of tennis balls. Ours were almost the size of basketballs! It was a great miracle and everyone knew God had taken care of us. Our neighbors respected us more and didn't view my husband as a cursed criminal any more. They saw 'the distinction between the righteous and the wicked.' Malachi 3:18.
She continues, "Just a week before wheat harvest, a severe hailstorm struck. Ice the size of tennis balls fell from the sky. I rushed outside when the hail started and some of our neighbors' wheat fields had been completely flattened. Yun's mother and I fell to our knees and cried out, 'God, have mercy on us!' A great miracle happened. Our field was the only one protected by the Lord. All our wheat was standing upright, untouched by the hail. Everyone else's fields had been obliterated. People came out of their homes after the storm subsided and saw how the Lord Jesus Christ had protected us. It was another powerful testimony to them." Yun, The Heavenly Man.
God takes care of His people who have been widowed or orphaned for their faith. In 2001, Martin and Gracia Burnham, missionaries to the Philippines with New Tribes Mission, were kidnapped at gunpoint by the Abu Sayyhaf, a terrorist group with ties to Osama ben Laden. They spent a year on the run with the terrorists in the jungle, facing near-starvation, constant exhaustion, frequent gun battles and cold-hearted murder. Gracia was freed a year later and returned to "normal" life back in Kansas with their three children--and a gaping hole where her husband had been. He had been shot in the attempt to free them both. But God provided through individuals, church groups and merchants who built and furnished a home for them, bought them a van and "the Lord continues to meet our needs." Burnham, In the Presence of My Enemies, 2004.
We do not need to fear what we or our loved ones may experience. Casper ten Boom and his middle-aged daughters Corrie and Betsie helped Jews escape the Holocaust in Holland during World War 2. For this, the sisters would be sent to Ravensbruck concentration camp in Germany. Betsie would be taken Home from there in September, 1944. Corrie would be released three months later, on Christmas Day, and would survive until her 91st birthday, ministering around the world. In The Hiding Place (later made into a movie), Corrie records her memory of an event when she was six which gives us a perspective on our loving heavenly Father's promised provision:
"At last we heard Father's footsteps winding up the stairs. It was the best moment in every day, when he came up to tuck us in. We never fell asleep until he had arranged the blankets in his special way and laid his hand for a moment on each head. Then we tried not to move even a toe.
"But that night as he stepped through the door I burst into tears. 'I need you!' I sobbed. 'You can't die! You can't!'
"Father sat down on the edge of the narrow bed. 'Corrie,' he began gently, 'when you and I go to Amsterdam--when do I give you your ticket?'
"I sniffed a few times, considering this.
"'Why, just before we get on the train.'
"'Exactly. And our wise Father knows when we're going to need things, too. Don't run out ahead of Him, Corrie. When the time comes that some of us will have to die, you will look into your heart and find the strength you need--just in time.'"
Nearly fifty years later, her father was imprisoned and God took him Home ten days later. Corrie and her sister Betsie were in the same prison he was (although they hadn't known it) when they got the news. I'm sure her father's words came back to Corrie at that time, to comfort her in her loss.
God will provide everything we need--when we need it.
And God provides JOY in Persecution! (See next letter, 5th of 5)
"We ought to give thanks for all fortune: if it is 'good,' because it is good, if 'bad' because it works in us patience, humility, and the hope of our eternal country," C.S. Lewis to his good friend Don Giovanni Calabria, 10 August 1948.
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