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SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 1997 Vol. 1, No.
5
IN THIS ISSUE:
What Does The Bible Say About -- Deception in the Last Days
Covenant -- R.S. "Bud" Miller
Purpose and Vision -- Copyright & Subscription
Information
Letters To The Editor -- Our Answers
Spiritual Warfare -- Soldiers as Watchman
Exposing Satan's Devices -- Eve Believes a Lie
End Times -- Mark of God or Mark of the Beast
Prophetic Voice To The Church -- Prophecy for the 90's
Little Foxes (Little Compromises) -- The Tradition of Halloween
Share and Tell -- Internet Testimonies
Prayer Focus Spotlight -- Praying for Our Children
The Secret of Answered Prayer -- Pastor William Mark Bristow
Book Review -- Turmoil in the Toybox
Poetry Corner -- Pray America
Personal Word From the Millers -- Closing Words
Past Issues Of The Digest -- Archives
Return to Main Menu
WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY ABOUT DECEPTION IN THE LAST
DAYS?
Betty Miller
PROVE ALL THINGS
I Thessalonians 5:21: "Prove all things; hold fast that
which is good.''
In these last days, there is so much dishonesty, lying and deception, it
becomes difficult at times to know who is telling the truth and who is not. Even when
people are sincere and truthful, they can still be sincerely deceived. Telling the truth
and knowing the truth are two different things. People who sincerely believe something to
be the truth and repeat it as such, are truthful people. However, knowing the truth
involves knowing the One who is Truth, Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ and His Words found in
the Bible are the only real source of truth. That is why the Bible verse in 1
Thess. 5:21 warns us to "Prove all things; hold fast that which is
good."
Jesus also warned his disciples in Matt. 24:3-4, "And as he
sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, Tell us, when
shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the
world? And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you."
The very first thing Jesus warned about in this scripture is deception.
The news media of our day is continuously reporting a myriad of deceptive
schemes, scams and plots that are masterminded by dishonest people. Unsuspecting people
are caught in these fraudulent webs spun by evil people who prey on the ignorant and
gullible. Many of God's own people are destroyed because they lack the knowledge of the
Word of God to be able to discern truth from error. Hosea 4:6a says, "My
people are destroyed for lack of knowledge." We have all been deceived at
times, however the Bible tells us who is at the root of deception and how we can overcome
it.
Rev. 12:9 "And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the
Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his
angels were cast out with him. 10 And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come
salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the
accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night. 11
And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and
they loved not their lives unto the death."
If we are to live the overcoming life and escape the deception of our age
we must seek Jesus with a total commitment and give Bible study priority in our lives. One
does not arrive at being an overcomer until he first learns the all important lesson of
"testing" or "proving" the issues of this life. In the hour that we
live there are so many things that are false and evil. We must be constantly on guard and
"prove" things, lest we become ensnared by something that is wicked.
Cults are spreading. Eastern idolatrous religions are creeping into our
country in very subtle forms, and many people are being deceived and have accepted their
practices, without even being aware of their evil. Some religious groups have existed for
years under the guise of Christianity, and yet are far from the teachings of Jesus Christ.
The Lord warns us of these false teachers and tells us to beware of them.
Looking at Matthew 7:15-23, we find Jesus gives us the guideline for
determining false prophets:
"Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but
inwardly they are ravening wolves. Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather
grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit;
but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit,
neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. Every tree that bringeth not forth good
fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.
Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but
he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day,
Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and
in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew
you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.''
Certainly, we are admonished to be on guard. However, some go to such extremes as to
become narrow-minded and closed to some beautiful truths in the name of being careful.
What should our role as Christians be in regard to acceptance of a new thought, idea or
doctrine? We are told to "prove all things", not to reject them because they
might be strange or new to us. However, we should not receive them either, until we first
prove them. How do we prove things? All true Christians are in agreement that our standard
is the Word of God, the Bible. God gave us this Book as a reference, standard, or gauge so
we could know whether something is good or evil, truth or error, right or wrong.
II Timothy 3:16-17: "All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable
for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man
of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.''
One of our major faults as Christians is that we tend to quote men on certain subjects
instead of referring to the Book God gave us. We recognize that God gave us men to lead us
into the truths of God, but our problem becomes: who are the true men of God and who are
the false ones that Christ warned us about? Sometimes we tend to evaluate men according to
the size of their ministries, their popularity with men, or their endowment of certain
gifts, etc.
The Lord said in verse 20 of Matthew 7 that we would know them by
their fruits. What are these fruits? Galatians 5:22-24 defines them as
being the fruit of the Spirit. "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy,
peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such
there is no law. And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections
and lusts.'' We are told to look at their lives and see if these fruits are
predominant in them and examine if they are living the crucified life. Of course, we must
allow for imperfections that have not been overcome yet; but we should readily see the
fruit of the Spirit in more abundance than the imperfections. One way we can check this is
to notice the words that a man speaks. The Scripture says in Matthew 12:33-35,
"Either make the tree good, and his fruit good; or else make the tree
corrupt, and his fruit corrupt: for the tree is known by his fruit. O generation of
vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? for out of the abundance of the heart
the mouth speaketh. A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good
things: and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things.''
Many people have been led astray when they could have recognized the wrong spirit
simply by the braggadocios and prideful words of men who exalted themselves instead of
Christ. Others would have been spared if they had examined the lifestyles of certain men
who claim to be God's anointed. Their lifestyles are far from temperate, reflecting the
most expensive and extravagant clothes, diamonds, homes, cars, etc. This is not referring
to well-dressed men and women, and nice homes, but the extremes which reveal anything but
the nature of Christ. Of course, neither is the other extreme of poverty the nature of
Christ. Men of God should live temperate, moderate lives, overcoming poverty and avoiding
extreme wealth. Jesus always went about giving to the poor. He never stored up His wealth
even though He apparently handled a lot of money, thus the need for a treasurer, Judas
(John 12:4-6). He gave away the things He could have used on Himself, yet He
never lacked as He went about ministering. He should be our example today. The affection
and lust for the things of this world do not portray the Spirit of Christ.
Examining the conversation of these leaders can quickly reveal the God they serve. Do
they speak of God's kingdom, His righteousness, and His love; or does their conversation
center on the things of this world and life? Are they peacemakers, sowing mercy and love?
Are they gentle and patient, or do they lose their temper easily? Do they walk in faith,
or are they continually looking to other men for their needs to be supplied? Are they
always pressuring people for money, or do they simply receive those gifts of money as unto
the Lord? Do they have the joy of the Lord, or do they minister out of duty? Are they
truly joyous with that joy spilling over to others, or do they continually complain and
gripe over all the things that are not pleasing to them? Is goodness evident in their
lives instead of evil? Do they put people in bondage by always threatening them with the
wrath of God, or is freedom of choice extended with the warning of the penalties of sin?
Jesus came to set us free, not to bring us under the bondage of men.
Let us prove all leaders and see if their fruit is good fruit. Do they love and not
hate, have joy instead of depression, and promote peace instead of strife? Are they
longsuffering (patient) or impatient, gentle or harsh? Do they walk in faith, or doubt and
unbelief? Are they meek, giving God the glory for their talents and gifts or do they
pridefully talk of all they are doing or their group is doing? Does temperance prevail not
only in their lifestyle, but in their personal habits as well or do extremes exist that do
not glorify God? In essence they will not live for themselves, but for others as Jesus
did. They will live a crucified life that glorifies God! Proverbs 20:11 says,
"Even a child is known by his doings, whether his work be pure, and whether
it be right.''
As we examine lives by this standard we must be careful not to go to extremes ourselves
and expect total perfection of all ministers. There are many godly men and women who are
called of God and have overcome in many areas, although they still have some weak areas.
They are believing as they walk with the Lord that these too will be perfected.
One of the greatest ills in the church today is the mixture of the church and the
world. The church is no longer separated from the world, but looks just like the world.
The world does not recognize Christians because they do the same thing the world does.
They eat and drink the same things, go to the same places, etc. In Exodus 12:38 we
find an account of a people called the "mixed multitude.'' The background of this
account tells about Israel being led out of Egyptian bondage by Moses. When they left,
some of the Egyptians who had married the Israelites left with them. Also there were those
that were half-Egyptian and half-Israelite. The Old Testament has many accounts of
"types'' that are lessons for us today. I Corinthians 10:5-6 says, "But
with many of them God was not well pleased: for they were overthrown in the wilderness.
Now these things were our examples, to the intent we should not lust after evil things, as
they also lusted.'' The example we are to see here is a lesson of what happens to
those who are not true Israelites at heart. We see in Numbers 11 that
after the Israelites had wandered in the wilderness awhile, they began to gripe and
complain. This spirit was spawned from those that were of the mixed multitude, who stayed
in the outermost part of the camp. They didn't come to the center of the camp where the
tabernacle was pitched, as they didn't want to be exposed by the glory of the Lord. Their
allegiance soon waned under trial and persecution, and they longed to go back to Egypt
where the fish, cucumbers, melons, garlic, leeks, and onions were. Soon their lust for
these things overcame them, and they were destroyed by the fire of God and the wrath of
the Lord.
Today we find the same problem in the church. The lust for the things of this world,
plus uncommitted hearts that contain a mixture of this world and the Lord's kingdom, will
ultimately bring the judgment of God. It was not God's intention for Israel to wander in
the wilderness for 40 years, as He wanted to bring them to the promised land that was
flowing with milk and honey. It is the same today; He wants to bless His children, but
their rebellion and lack of commitment does not allow Him to do so. The Word of God proves
we have a loving and just God. As we seek Him and grow in His word, we will not suffer His
judgment on sin. The judgment of the wrath of God comes only upon sin and this world. If
we have Jesus in our hearts and have been forgiven of our sins and have renounced the
things of this world, then we have no need to fear the wrathful judgment of God. It will
not fall on God's children who are striving to follow Him. Praise God!
In conclusion, let us look to God to prove all things. "Proving what is
acceptable unto the Lord'' (Ephesians 5:10). Only by coming before Him with a
teachable spirit can we be taught the truth and recognize error. As we become more
acquainted with the real, we will be able to better discern the counterfeit. The devil has
a counterfeit for every truth of God. However, we need not fear being deceived if we are
in fellowship with the Lord, for He will deliver us from every evil as we continue to
follow Him.
Our daily prayer should be "Lord, cleanse me from all error and renew my mind.
Lord, I desire to know the truth even if it means correction and discomfort for me. Change
my thoughts and heart to be your thoughts and heart. Father, give me a teachable spirit.
Take my desires, dreams and visions and give me yours. Cleanse me from all that offends
you. Create within me a clean heart, O Lord. Amen.''
Note: If you desire more knowledge to help you avoid the deception of the last
days that Jesus warned about, we have a book in our Chapel Bookstore entitled "PROVE
ALL THINGS". This book will give you clear Scriptural guidelines on how to discern
the Spirit of Truth from the spirit of error. You will learn how to recognize false
teachers and false prophets, as well as how to judge without being judgmental. (This book
is priced at only $5.00 and is 44 pgs.).
Click here to order PROVE ALL THINGS from the catalog.
Return to Table of Contents for this issue
COVENANT: GOD'S GUARANTEE FOR VICTORIOUS LIVING
R.S. "Bud" Miller
Note: (This teaching is continued from last month's Overcoming
Life Digest. See Table of Contents for Archives.)
GOD'S DESIRE FOR A COVENANT PEOPLE
God's desire from the time He created Adam and Eve was
for a people who would love and serve Him as a family. When our first parents fell into
disobedience and forfeited their relationship with God, He already had a plan in motion to
bring some of their descendants back into relationship with Him through an everlasting
blood covenant.
God's desire was for Abraham's descendants to be
established on the earth as a royal kingdom of priests who would show the knowledge of God
to the other nations of the earth (Ex. 19:6).God's desire was for them to
be "the head and not the tail" among nations (Deut. 28:13) --
blessed, sanctified, and separated from the world.
God's desire was to be their King and rule over them as
His people and children through the covenant with Abraham. His children were to be
Abraham's (those born by faith in Jesus), and Abraham's children were to be His. That was
a blood covenant provision stronger than natural blood ties.
God's desire was for them to remain as priests in right
standing with Him. They would draw near to God in prayer and offer sacrifices as
memorials-in-advance of the sacrifice of Jesus. They were to make it known a better
covenant was coming. Through this New Covenant, there would never again be the possibility
that God would not have His own people, created in His image. His plan was finished, as
Jesus said on the cross (John 19:30).
From Calvary until now, God's plan has been established,
and His people are assigned to re-occupy enemy territory until God's Kingdom on earth is
as it is in Heaven (Matt. 6:10).
THE NEW COVENANT THROUGH JESUS
Hebrews 8:6-7, "But now hath he obtained a more
excellent ministry, by how much also he is the mediator of a better covenant, which was
established upon better promises. For if that first covenant had been faultless, then
should no place have been sought for the second."
You may be wondering why God made the Old Covenant if He
was going to have to make a new one. There were two reasons:
1. Every person since Adam has been born under the law of
sin and death (Rom. 8:2) with no ability to save himself from that law.
2. Man must have a mediator through which this
reconciliation with God could be made, thus the old covenant foreshadowed the coming of
this Mediator.
In man's sinful nature, there was no way he could walk in
the way of the Lord and keep His commandments. So the Old Covenant remained in effect
until the Seed arrived to whom the covenant promises belonged. That Seed, of course, was
the Lord Jesus Christ.
Galatians 3:16-18, "Now to Abraham
and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of
one, AND TO THY SEED, which is Christ. And this I say, that the covenant, that was
confirmed before of God in Christ, the law, which was four hundred and thirty years after,
cannot disannul, that it should make the promise of none effect. For if the inheritance be
of the law, it is no more of promise: but God gave it to Abraham by promise."
Jesus is the heir through which God established a new and
better covenant, through which man could receive and enjoy full salvation.
"Salvation" in Greek is soteria, which means deliverance, preservation,
safety and health as well as salvation. In some places, it is translated
"Savior," showing that all those things are in Jesus. Salvation is more than just
being "saved" from the penalty of sin.
The New Covenant became possible because God first
entered into a blood covenant with Abraham and sealed it with an oath He could never
break. God "swore by Himself" (Gen. 22:16). In other words, the
Old Covenant was the first legal step toward the complete new covenant. God's covenant
with man is a revelation. It is an unfolding of His purpose, a revealing of His divine
will for you and me, as well as for all people of the earth who will choose to come to
God.
God's covenant reveals that He never gave up on man who
was created in His image. (Gen. 1:26,27), but plans to accomplish things
through using us, His people. God will have a people who are strong in Him, sure in Him,
powerful in Him so that they continually walk in obedience (Jer. 32:38-41).
To achieve that, He cut a blood covenant with man. (That covenant, first the Abrahamic and
then the new one, makes an eternal "legal" relationship between God and those
who receive Jesus in their hearts.)
Abraham's covenant was never "done away with,"
because God said it was to last forever. However, it became obsolete or out of date (Heb.
8:13). The Old Covenant, was swallowed up, expanded, amplified, and fulfilled in
the New Covenant.
The Abrahamic covenant; the first blood covenant God
"cut" with man, was a foreshadowing; a picture, type, or pattern, of the
everlasting covenant of God. Our God is a covenant-keeping God! His everlasting covenant
means from eternity to eternity. It will never be broken. God established it in the
blood of Jesus, and it will never be broken by God or changed. The stability of God
is mind-boggling to us. We cannot really understand what "everlasting" means
with our natural minds. However, the Bible tells us that if we accept what Jesus did on
the cross for us we can have that everlasting life sealed by His precious blood.
(To be continued next month)
(Excerpt from the book entitled: COVENANT God's Guarantee for Victorious Living by
R.S. "Bud" Miller);
Click here to order
Return to Table of Contents for this Issue
PURPOSE & VISION
THE OVERCOMING LIFE DIGEST is published for the purpose of strengthening the Body of
Christ by furnishing teaching literature and a prophetic voice to the church in these last
days. CHRIST UNLIMITED is helping and working with all Bible-believing Christians
regardless of their church or denominational affiliations in promoting the Gospel of Jesus
Christ. CHRIST UNLIMITED believes the hour is late and we must fulfill the great
commission. We desire as Christians to cooperate with the Lord in breaking down
denominational walls, for a united front line against the kingdom of darkness and setting
up the Kingdom of the Lord Jesus Christ by the power of the Holy Spirit.
CHRIST UNLIMITED MINISTRIES, INC. and CHRIST UNLIMITED PUBLISHING provide such tools
through literature as to enable the saints of God to take the Kingdom and walk in the
overcoming life as promised us in John 10:10 & Revelation 21:7.
PUBLISHER
CHRIST UNLIMITED PUBLISHING
President: R.S. "Bud" Miller
Editor: Betty Miller
Electronic Editor: William Mark Bristow
Printing and Design: Ironwood Lithographers, Tempe, AZ
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MINISTRIES, INC.
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Email Address: digest@BibleResources.org
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Scripture Quotations are from the King James Version of the Bible unless otherwise
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Return to Table of Contents for this Issue
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
These letters are referring to the lead article
in the July/August 1997 OVERCOMING LIFE DIGEST
______________________
At 10:03 PM 7/5/97, you wrote:
The first time I visited your site, I came across the article on UFO's. I
was very disappointed in what I read there. I am a 24 year old female and I am also a
Christian. That is not something very common among my age group (as I'm sure you know). I
have a college degree and consider myself to be an intelligent person. I try to learn the
from the bible as much as I possibly can.
My mother and father in-law are both very close to our Lord. They have
healed the sick, cast out demons, and taught the word of God to many people. They have
been given the gift of discernment. They also both believe that there are beings other
than the ones found here on earth somewhere in the great universe. I don't believe that
that idea is farfetched and I certainly don't see how that belief is any way related to
witchcraft. The bible states that God created the WORLDS. Why would God take so much time
creating so much diversity on this one planet and then say "OK, everything else can
just be lights"? The simple curiosity in wanting to know what else our all powerful
Lord created is not associated with worshiping the devil. I hate satan and all his works.
If God created beings that we don't know about, I would not want to say they are of the
devil.
All good things come from God. It is narrowminded to believe that we are
the only intelligent life form that God created. He created all thing with love. We are to
embrace all things He created with love.
Respectfully, Jennifer
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Dear Jennifer:
We appreciate hearing from our readers and we do compliment you as a young
person who stands for her Christian faith. Our stand in regard to all issues is "What
does the Bible say about that issue." We are not discussing in this article the
possibility of life on other planets or the lack of it. What we are discussing is the
current UFO craze and New Age doctrine that goes with it. We do not know what other things
that God might have created in the heavenlies. The Bible is silent on that subject.
However, the only worlds the Bible speaks of as being inhabited are this earth, heaven and
hell.
God gave us the Bible for instruction about life on this planet and the
only spiritual life forms he mentions are humans and angels outside of the Godhead. He
then tells us there are two kinds of angels:
1. Good angels who are ministering spirits sent by God to aid His children
and do God's bidding.
2. Evil angels who fell from their heavenly state because of sin and are now demons or
devils under the bidding of Lucifer (a fallen archangel).
The Bible is a prophetic book and gives us a glimpse into many future
events (Some events have already taken place, proving the accuracy of the Bible while
other events have not taken place yet). No where does the Bible mention extraterrestrial
beings; however, there are many warnings about demons and their ability to deceive with
the purpose of ensnaring souls to hell.
We are definitely not told to embrace and love all things that God
created, instead we are told in 1 John 4:1, "Beloved, believe not every
spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone
out into the world." The Bible clearly teaches us to "test" or
"prove" things to see if they are from God. (I Thess. 5:21).
The devil is using his demons to impersonate outer space beings in order to ensnare souls
who do not know the Word of God. None of these so called extraterrestrial beings are
pointing people to Christ but rather are deluding them with false revelation that is
taking them to hell.
Since you are professing Christ as your Lord, I pray that at least you
will be open minded enough to ask the Lord with an humble heart if you could possibly be
wrong in your assumptions. Our prayer is that all of God's people will walk in truth.
Blessings, Bud & Betty Miller
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
date: 7/8/97
theCity: Waller
theState: TX
theCountry: USA
addinfo: Your article on UFO's was excellent! Very helpful when explaining to others about
creatures from outer space. Every article that I read was informative, interesting, and
agreeable. Thanks, Beverly
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
date: 8/8/97
theCity: Wayne
theState: NJ
theCountry: usa
How did you find our site?: In my pre Christian days I would have said "Just
Luck"
addinfo: Thank you for your site. I had just asked my pastor about the bible's stance on
UFOs and I'm sure he will be as pleased as I was to read what you had to say about it.
Thank you for doing God's work. It is so wonderful to read something good on the net
instead of all that mail I get that I don't want and never asked for. Keep up God's Word.
God Bless. Grace
Return to Table of Contents for this Issue
SPIRITUAL WARFARE
Betty Miller
Soldiers as Watchmen
1 Peter 4:7, "But the end of all things is at hand: be ye
therefore sober, and watch unto prayer."
Watchfulness is required of every good soldier. In an army, any soldier designated as
watchman on night duty dare not fall asleep. He stays awake, ever alert for the enemy. As
Christian soldiers, our watchfulness includes checking out the orders to be certain it's
God speaking, and not the enemy deceiving us.
The enemy will often send along something that appears good; it seems to be a positive
thing and in the will of God. But if we're alert soldiers, we'll seek the Lord on the
matter. Since the enemy wants to sidetrack us with concerns that will rob us, drain us,
take our time and even destroy us, it's essential that we check our guidance to make sure
that we are hearing from God, not the enemy.
The enemy can be a crafty foe. He knows that once we're totally committed to God, we're
going to resist overt sin. He knows we won't be behaving as the world does, so generally
he doesn't waste his efforts trying to trip us up with obvious sins. Instead, he resorts
to presenting us with a plan that looks like God's plan. If we don't examine it before
God, we fall for it. We assume it is the way God wants us to go. Then halfway down the
road we wonder, "Lord, why is this turning out so wrong?" It's because we never
thoroughly checked with Him beforehand. We weren't watchful. In the Old Testament, before
battle David "inquired of the Lord." He never fought a battle without God's
guidance and instruction.
For example, consider the area of inviting needy persons to stay awhile in our homes.
As Christians, we are to be generous, ministering to the poor and needy; but we're also to
be led by God's Spirit. Sometimes the solution is an invitation, but often times God will
provide a different answer. If we're moved only by guilt that says, "I'm a Christian
so I need to invite them in," then the devil can have us operating out of human
sympathy, overloading ourselves with tasks that aren't of God. We cannot be led by
sympathy alone; we need God's compassion.
Because I had a sympathetic nature, for years the devil was able to overload me with
burdens the Lord didn't want me to bear. I would think, "Well, if I don't help here,
I'm a bad Christian." I wore myself out trying to minister to everyone's needs, when
God only wanted me to minister to certain ones. Satan tries to wear us out so much that we
don't even have the strength left to help those God really wants us to help.
Of course, there are situations that certainly require us to provide Christian help.
For example, we wouldn't leave a friend stranded by the roadside. But there are other
needs the enemy brings before us that require our carefully seeking God's direction so we
don't fall into a trap of the enemy.
(Excerpt from the book Personal Spiritual Warfare; Click
here to order
Return to Table of Contents for this Issue
EXPOSING SATAN'S DEVICES
Betty Miller
EVE BELIEVES A LIE
Let us notice the serpent's (Satan's) method of deceiving man in the beginning. He
first came to Eve very subtly, challenging God's instructions to Adam and her. Genesis
3:1-6 reads, "Now the serpent was more subtle than any beast of the
field which the Lord God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye
shall not eat of every tree of the garden? And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat
of the fruit of the trees of the garden: But of the fruit of the tree which is in the
midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it,
lest ye die. And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die: For God doth
know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as
gods, knowing good and evil. And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and
that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of
the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat.''
We observe from this account that Satan's first method is to bring doubt against God's
judgment by questioning His limits on man. Satan suggested to Eve to question God's
command by his remark of, "Hath God said?'' Then the serpent placed
three temptations before her: the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and the pride of
life. I John 2:16, "For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and
the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.''
The things of this world still tempt man today. The Greek word used for
"world" in the Scriptures is "kosmos." In a study of the Scriptures,
we find it used mainly in four ways. First, it is used with reference to the material
universe, the world; this earth as seen in Matthew 13:35, John 1:10, and Mark
16:15.
The second use of the Greek word "kosmos," or world, is for the inhabitants,
or men of the world as seen in John 3:16 and other Scriptures where the
idea of the whole race of man is implicated. A third definition for "world" is
for "this age" as found in Matthew 13:39.
The fourth definition for "world," as used in I John 2:16 (this
is the world we are told not to love that is under Satan's domain), is the
"kosmos" of the moral and spiritual systems we call human society. Fallen
society is that realm of the world which consists of the whole circle of worldly goods,
endowments, riches, advantages, pleasures, intellectual pursuits, education, science,
man-made religious systems, business, medicine, arts and politics. It is this definition
of "kosmos" or "cosmos" that the Word of God tells us is controlled by
Satan. Many of us do not realize that when we touch the things that make up fallen
society, we touch the power of Satan. Therefore, we become "independent" in the
way we use them if we do not put them under the power and direction of God.
God had not intended to deny man access to the tree of the knowledge of good and evil
but had a plan that in time would have opened his eyes to good and evil, and then finally
allowed him to partake of the tree of life when he had matured enough to be able to live
eternally in that state. By eating the fruit prematurely, it brought death instead of
wisdom and life, just as God had told them it would.
SPIRITUAL DEATH
Physical death did not come immediately, but spiritual death did. They died on the
inside first. They no longer could face God. We experience the same feeling when we sin.
Fear and shame are the fruits of sin. Many fear God today because of the sin in their
lives. If we really fellowship with God on a daily basis, we find that as we obey Him
there is simply no guilt or fear that troubles us. However when we sin without repentance,
we run from the presence of God just as Adam and Eve did.
Genesis 3:7-14, "And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that
they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons. And they
heard the voice of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day: and Adam and
his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God amongst the trees of the garden.
And the Lord God called unto Adam, and said unto him, Where art thou? And he said, I heard
thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself. And he
said, Who told thee that thou wast naked? Hast thou eaten of the tree, whereof I commanded
thee that thou shouldest not eat? And the man said, The woman whom thou gavest to be with
me, she gave me of the tree, and I did eat. And the Lord God said unto the woman, What is
this that thou hast done? And the woman said, The serpent beguiled me, and I did eat. And
the Lord God said unto the serpent, Because thou hast done this, thou art cursed above all
cattle, and above every beast of the field; upon thy belly shalt thou go, and dust shalt
thou eat all the days of thy life.''
We see Adam and Eve not only experiencing fear and shame, but also we see another sin
rising in Adam's nature as he tries to justify his failure to obey. He blames God for
giving him the woman who led him astray. He neither takes responsibility for his own sin
nor for the protection of the woman.
Today, we are guilty of the same thing as we often find ourselves blaming God for our
failures and disobedience or blaming the people around us. The real problem lies within
us. God has a perfect plan for every person, but so many are not willing to walk in that
plan. Our society is so eager to get everything immediately that most people fail to wait
for God to work out His plan.
(Excerpt from the book Exposing Satan's Devices; Click here to order
Return to Table of Contents for this Issue
END TIMES
MARK OF GOD OR MARK OF THE BEAST
Betty Miller
INTRODUCTION
Much has been said on this subject of the mark of the beast, but little said about the
mark of God. Will there be a literal mark tattooed on people's foreheads and/or their
hands in these end times to make it possible to buy and sell in a one-world monetary
system that is being set up by an antichrist?
We can certainly see the possibilities of this becoming a literal reality in our day
with the technology of laser beam tattoos and our president speaking of a "new world
order." Even now, pets can be tracked by tiny computer chips about the size of a
grain of rice which have an identification number programmed into it that can be injected
under the skin with a hypodermic needle. A special scanner generates a radio signal that
reads the number through the skin of the animal when it is found.
This book is not disputing the possibilities of a literal tattoo, but rather exposing
the spiritual implications behind that plan of Satan. How will this come about? Will it be
one of the above new technologies or something yet to come? We don't believe men are going
to be tattooed or branded with a literal set of three sixes on their foreheads or hands,
any more than we believe the letters J-E-S-U-S will be on the foreheads of God's servants
as spoken of in Rev. 22: 3-4: "And there shall be no more curse: but the throne of
God and of the Lamb shall be in it; and his servants shall serve him: And they shall see
his face; and his name shall be in their foreheads."
How will the beast mark those who follow him, and what is the mark of God set upon
those who follow Christ? Let us begin with the mark of the beast, then look at how we are
to receive God's mark which protects us from destruction in these end times.
Throughout the Scriptures, the word beast refers to a system, and not to a man. The
beast is a system that rules the world; it's an antichrist system. Daniel 7 speaks
of beasts and identifies them as earthly kingdoms. So the beast in Revelation is a beastly
system that's ruling the world (it's a dictator beast). This beast is not just one human
being, rather it is a system that has infiltrated every area whether it be politics,
medicine, art or science; the beastly system is everywhere. This system is typically
overseen by a powerful government with those in power making decisions that perpetrate the
worldly system throughout mankind. When Revelation 13:1 speaks of the
beast rising up out of the sea, what is meant by the sea? The Scriptures speak of the sea
as "masses of humanity." This beastly system is rising up out of humanity, out
of all the people on the earth. When John, the author of Revelation, stood upon the sand
of the sea, he was standing upon that which could not be numbered, among all the people of
the earth.
THE BEASTLY SYSTEM WORLD-WIDE
We see, then, that we're not looking for an antichrist; we're looking for a beastly
system. And it's already here. In error, people have been naming specific individuals as
the antichrist, such as Hitler or even Hussein. Such individuals are all part of the beast
system, but it's not a single person we're looking for. The beast is everywhere and we've
all been contaminated to varying degrees by that system. People don't even realize they're
being contaminated as they give heed to the thinking of the world's political and social
leaders. They're receiving the system into their minds, then doing the works of the devil
because they've unknowingly picked up his thinking.
The devil has so deceived the world, even the church. For example, even the church is
full of divorces because the government and society say it's acceptable. They also say
abortions are acceptable, so we have abortions even in the church. The beastly system has
crept into the church and we're being marked by it. Many have it in their minds that
divorce and abortion are acceptable, then they've committed those deeds with their hands.
They've been marked in their minds and on their hands without even knowing it. They're
waiting for some tattoo, thinking they'll refuse it when it comes, yet they're already
receiving the spiritual mark of the beast. Should they come to a literal mark, they'll not
be able to refuse it because the beast system has already become such a part of them. If
we're not getting our minds marked with the Word of God (reading and meditating in the
Bible and obeying it's commands), when the hour comes for a literal mark we'll not be able
to say no to the system.
The system has become such a part of us. The government takes care of us. It has become
God to many. The government takes care of the sick; they perform many social works; they
handle much of retirement through social security here in the U.S.A. Are we dependent upon
the government, or are we dependent upon God Almighty to take care of us? When the whole
system of this world fails - and it will - we'll fall with it if we're not grounded in the
system of God's kingdom. It's not wrong for us to receive from the government now as long
as we acknowledge God as our source and not the system. Should the system fail and we no
longer have social security or other provisions from the government, those overcoming
Christians who have been receiving it will simply turn to God as their source, and He will
provide for them another way as their faith is in God and not the system.
(To Be Continued next month)
(Excerpt taken from the book The Mark of God or The Mark of the Beast; Click here to order
Return to Table of Contents for this Issue
PROPHETIC VOICE TO THE CHURCH
As some may not be familiar with prophecy in the church, we want to share this
short explanation of Biblical prophecy before we share an actual prophecy from God.
First, what is Godly prophecy? It can be summed up as words that are spoken on
behalf of God. A prophet or prophetess is one who is a spokesman for God. It is a divine
utterance that comes from the Holy Spirit. (Note: Just as there are prophetic words from
God, there are also false prophecies that the Lord warned us about in the Bible. In Matt.
7:15-16 Jesus said, "Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's
clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. Ye shall know them by their
fruits--." We must prove the source of prophecy before accepting it as coming
from the Lord.)
God is raising up many prophetic voices in the earth today. His gifts of
prophecy are basically of two types. One is the "simple gift of prophecy" which
every believer can express under the unction or direction of the Holy Spirit after they
have been filled with the Holy Ghost.
The other is the "office gift" of the spirit which is given to a
prophet or prophetess who is called to the "five-fold" ministry office as
outlined in 1 Corinthians 12:28 which says "And God hath set some in the
church, first apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly teachers, after that miracles, then
gifts of healings, helps, governments, diversities of tongues." Also Ephesians
4:11-12, which says
"And he gave some, apostles; and some prophets; and some, evangelists;
and some, pastors and teachers. For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the
ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ."
The basic difference between these two types is, the simple gift of prophecy is
given to all spirit filled believers as spoken of in 1 Corinthians 14:31, "For ye
may all prophesy one by one, that all may learn, and all may be comforted."
It is for the purpose of edification, exhortation and comfort as spoken of in 1
Corinthians 14:3, "But he that prophesieth speaketh unto men to edification, and
exhortation, and comfort."
The "office gift" of a prophet or prophetess is given to speak to the
body of Christ at large. The ministers who are called to the office of a prophet or
prophetess will deliver messages which include edification, exhortation and comfort, but
their messages can also be directive in nature and futuristic in content as well (Eph.
4:11-15).
Presently God is leading His people with prophetic preaching and teaching. A
prophetic movement is taking place in the world.
PROPHECY FOR THE 1990'S
The following prophetic words were given to Betty Miller by the
Holy Spirit on December 23, 1989 which was shared with the local church. It was also
printed in tract form and has been distributed for a number of years. We want our
newsletter to be a ministry to God's people so we are including this word to help prepare
for the remaining days ahead. This message will be printed here in a series form to be
continued in future Digests.
FAMILY ALTERS
God is stressing "Family Altars." It is now very important to spend time with
your families in prayer and Bible study to strengthen your relationships. Christ must be
lived in the parents as examples before the children, or serious problems will rise up in
the children. Parents must assume responsibility for their children's actions and be
faithful and consistent in their discipline to them. Homes will either become havens of
blessing and rest or prisons of turmoil and unrest, dependent upon our obedience in this
area.
FEAR OF GOD RESTORED
The basic reason God's people will suffer loss in many areas is because of a lack of
holy reverence and fear of God. The reason many of God's people in this nation suffered in
times past was lack of knowledge in God's Word.
Hosea 4:6-7: My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast
rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me: seeing
thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I will also forget thy children. 7 As they were
increased, so they sinned against me: therefore I will change their glory into shame.
Lack of knowledge being available to God's people here in the U.S.A. is no longer true;
God's people here have access to the knowledge but have refused to walk in it. They have
been hearers of the word, but not doers.
James 1:22: But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own
selves. Because of this lack of obedience, they are under great deception. Jesus spoke
of this deception in Matthew 24 and what the consequences of this would
be and how to avoid it. God will protect those who walk in faith and obey Him while those
who persist in their rebellion will suffer greatly.
Return to Table of Contents for this Issue
LITTLE FOXES
(Little compromises that cause big problems)
Betty Miller
Song of Solomon 2:15 says, "Take us the foxes, the little foxes, that
spoil the vines: for our vines have tender grapes." Foxes sometime in search of
food would enter into the grape orchards and devour the grapes and spoil the crop.
However, the little foxes were too small to reach the grape bunches so they would chew on
the vines and it would kill the whole vine. Instead of the farmer just losing his crop, he
would lose his vine which was more disastrous. Spiritually some things we do or allow that
we might think is little or insignificant can also be disastrous for us.
THE TRADITION OF HALLOWEEN
Many Christians do not realize that certain traditions that are celebrated
in the world have evil origins. Just because our society partakes in certain activities
does not make them acceptable for Christians. We must look to Christ and His Word to see
if the traditions of this world are good or evil.
Mark 7:13 says, "Making the word of God of
none effect through your tradition, which ye have delivered: and many such like things do
ye."
One very evil tradition is the celebration of Halloween. No Christian should partake in
the activities of this holiday, nor should they allow their children to do so. We can
discern the evil of this day by taking a look at the festivities that are associated with
its celebration. Children are dressed as witches, goblins, ghosts, little devils and
fortune tellers. All these are representatives of Satan's kingdom. Games played at
carnivals promote fear in children as they are ushered through spook houses and horror
rooms. Skeletons, black cats and bats represent death and darkness. No carnival is
complete without the gypsy who tells fortunes. Satan has gained man's approval to
celebrate his day by simply making it a tradition that seems like a fun day. The opposite
is true, however, as more damage and harm are done on this day each year than any other
holiday. Children are taught to go door to door chanting "trick or treat." It is
unchristian to demand a gift under threat of playing some trick. Police are on the alert
for juvenile vandalism and caution parents to be watchful.
Satanists celebrate this as their high holy day and even offer human sacrifices to the
devil. Until recently, most Christians have not questioned this traditional celebration,
but rather have gone along with it by even bringing Halloween parties into the church. The
earliest Halloween celebrations were not held by the early church, but the Druids in honor
of Samhain, the Lord of the Dead, and his demons, whose festival fell on November 1.
Halloween actually means "holy or hallowed evening." (According to the Roman
calendar in which days began at midnight, the evening of October 31 was the eve before the
hallowed day; hence Halloween or All Soul's Eve was kept throughout the ancient pagan
world.).
It can also be called All Hallows Eve because it is the day before All Hallows' or All
Saints' day, a holy day in the Roman Catholic Church, Episcopal Church, the Church of
England and the Greek Orthodox Church. This festival honors all martyrs, known and
unknown, who have died for the church. During the time of Constantine, these two holidays
were merged in an attempt to Christianize the heathen. The church could not prevent these
heathen practices, so they thought "taming'" them would be the answer. They
were, of course, not to worship their gods on the church's All Saint's day. However, as it
is with all compromises, soon the evil overrode the good, and hence we still honor these
heathen practices by celebrating Halloween.
As parents you have a responsibility not to allow your children to be exposed to these
evil celebrations. What might seem to some as innocent children's games is a "little
fox" that can open the door to satanic influence and even demon possession in some
cases. Children can be tormented with a spirit of fear that can come through this
involvement that stays with them throughout their lives. It also introduces children to
witchcraft, making it easier for them to become involved in cults and occultic activities.
When children are taught it is alright to play with the things of darkness, it does not
give them the repulsion and resistance that they need to stand against greater Satanic
involvement. When the things of Satan are taken lightly, as games and fun, it sets our
children up to accept evil rather than to resist it. This "little fox" is not
only spreading evil to children but has been a curse for the church and our nation as
well. As Christians, we should spread the word to others about the evil tradition of
Halloween.
Eph 5:6-12 says, "Let no man deceive you with vain words: for because of
these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience. 7 Be not ye
therefore partakers with them. 8 For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in
the Lord: walk as children of light: 9 (For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and
righteousness and truth;)10 Proving what is acceptable unto the Lord. 11 And have no
fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them. 12 For it is a
shame even to speak of those things which are done of them in secret."
(Excerpt from the book Exposing Satan's Devices; Click
here to order
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SHARE & TELL
Psalm 105:1 "O Give thanks unto the Lord; call on his name: make
known his deeds among the people."
We thought our readers might be blessed by some of the letters we are getting on the
Internet. Here is a sampling of some of our guests comments. Praise be to our Lord!
________________
Subject: My prayer
Please God Forgive us our sins. Forgive us, Lord. You are the one who can help. Help the
old, the sick, the needy, the poor, those at war, those at sea, the disabled, the less
fortunate. Help the pressurised and the bereaved Help everyone in the world to smile and
be happy. No hardship, cruelty or wars. Please God. I know that I love the world. Amen
By Daniel age 11
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Subject: Christ Unlimited Ministries Guest Book
date: 8/9/97
theAddtwo: Dubai United Arab Emirates
theCity: Dubai
theCountry: U.A.E.
I got your address from my Pastor who got it from a friend. I think it is nice. Here in
the UAE we don't get to read much Christian literature,this being a Muslim country. This
site would be a good place to find enlightening articles. --P.P.--
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
From: CANTON,CHINA
I have got your message. Yes, in China, we can get our Chinese Bible. Of course, if I get
the chance, I will share with others about the Salvation. However, I am afraid that it is
difficult for me to get your Bible study information by mail. China is still not very open
now and there are a lot of special rules for the religion activities, esp. the ones from
aboard. The custom will check the mails from aboard very carefully. But your prayer will
never be stopped by anyone, even the evil. Please pray for us, in my church, many brothers
and sisters are facing temptations and struggles from marriage,employment, family, money
and their future, esp. the young people. Please pray that God will guide them into His
light and His glory will strengthen them up Also please pray that Holy Spirit will always
make us one. Thank you. The love and care from you, who are not visible, warm us up. We
can feel it from the bottom of our hearts. May God bless all of you and absolutely we will
meet in the Heaven.
Take care, H.L., a brother from China
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PRAYER FOCUS SPOTLIGHT
PRAYING FOR OUR CHILDREN
Matt.19:13-15 (AMP) "Then the little children were brought to Jesus that
he might put his hands on them and pray, but the disciples rebuked those who brought them.
14 But He said, Leave the children alone! Allow the little ones to come to Me, and do not
forbid or restrain or hinder them, for of such (as these) the kingdom of heaven is
composed."
We want to make our focus of prayer for our children in this edition of the DIGEST.
Children are very vulnerable at this hour with so much evil in the world. As parents and
grandparents, one of the things we can do for our children is to cover them in prayer.
Below we are listing several scriptures that we can claim and pray over our families
daily. God is faithful to His Word and when we pray in faith, the Lord will answer these
prayers.
Isa 49:25 But thus saith the LORD, Even the captives of the mighty shall be
taken away, and the prey of the terrible shall be delivered: for I will contend with him
that contendeth with thee, and I will save thy children.
Isa 44:3-4 For I will pour water upon him that is thirsty, and floods upon the
dry ground: I will pour my spirit upon thy seed, and my blessing upon thine offspring: 4
And they shall spring up as among the grass, as willows by the water courses.
Isa 54:13-14 And all thy children shall be taught of the LORD; and great shall
be the peace of thy children. 14 In righteousness shalt thou be established: thou shalt be
far from oppression; for thou shalt not fear: and from terror; for it shall not come near
thee.
Jer 31:16-17 Thus saith the LORD; Refrain thy voice from weeping, and thine
eyes from tears: for thy work shall be rewarded, saith the LORD; and they shall come again
from the land of the enemy. 17 And there is hope in thine end, saith the LORD, that thy
children shall come again to their own border.
Acts 16:31 And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be
saved, and thy house.
Prov 11:21b ".....the seed of the righteous shall be delivered."
Psa 112:1-2 Praise ye the LORD. Blessed is the man that feareth the LORD, that
delighteth greatly in his commandments. 2 His seed shall be mighty upon earth: the
generation of the upright shall be blessed.
We also pray Psalm 91 over our families and ourselves daily for
protection. The children of today are the future of tomorrow. We must pass our Godly
heritage on to them if we want to see this world changed for the better. What a wonderful
privilege and act of love we can express as we pray for the children of the world. As the
little song goes, "Jesus loves the little children of the world. Red and yellow,
black and white. They are precious in His sight. Jesus loves the little children of the
world."
Return to Table of Contents for this Issue
SPECIAL GUEST
THE SECRET OF ANSWERED PRAYER
By Pastor William "Mark" Bristow
When people see God give definite answers to prayer they will ask,
"Pray for me, too." Then will come a question, " How did you pray?"
When I walk through the Christian Bookstore, I see hundreds of variations of book titles
with the subject of "HOW I DID IT!" When it comes to prayer, those titles are
bestsellers. Everybody wants to know how this thing of prayer works. I'm going to give
you, perhaps the only formula given in the Word of God. I usually do not believe in
formulas when it comes to the things of God, because God is a person. He is not some
"thing" I can manipulate by laws or rituals, or that I can "use" by
correctly performing certain formulas.
However, in Luke Chapter 11, I find a clear formula for
answered prayer. Remember, this example was to the disciples before the cross, before we
could boldly enter the throne room and ask God for whatever we have need of (Hebrews
4:16). So, for our purpose today, this is an example of "how" to pray,
not of "what" to pray.
Here in Luke, Jesus tells the story of a man who goes to his neighbor's
house and bangs on the door, asking to borrow loaves of bread with which to serve
unexpected guests. It's late and everyone has gone to bed. Because of the man's
persistence, the neighbor finally gets up and gives him the bread just to get him to go
away. Later Jesus tells the disciples, if you as men would get up and give a friend their
request just to get them to stop bothering you, how much more will our heavenly Father who
loves you, give us those things we have need of. In the midst of this parable comes the
formula for answered prayer.
It is found in Luke 11:9-10 (KJV), "And I say unto you, Ask,
and it shall be given you; seek and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you.
10 For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that
knocketh it shall be opened." The Amplified Bible says, "Ask, and keep on
asking, Seek and keep on seeking, knock, and keep on knocking ..."
1) Ask and keep on asking. 1 John 5:15 (KJV) "And if we know
that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of
him." Make your petitions known. Although God is still God Almighty and He
is Sovereign and He can do anything He wants to do; God likes to be invited. I remember a
Government class in High School. A discussion came up as to whether or not God intervenes
in the affairs of men and governments today. I was known as "the preacher" then,
so the question came round to me. I knew it was coming and sent up a short prayer for
wisdom. "Mark, you're the preacher here. What do you think? Does God intervene in
individual lives today?" My answer was, "If I let Him." Oh sure, God is
still in control of the beginning and the end. But it is clear in the Word of God, as
individuals, you and I have a choice. James 4:2 (KJV) "...yet ye have not,
because ye ask not." God becomes involved when we ASK!
2) Seek and keep on seeking. What should we seek? Luke 12:29 &
31 (KJV) "And seek not ye what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink, neither be ye of
doubtful mind. (31) But rather seek ye the kingdom of God; and all these things shall be
added unto you." Seek God. So many people seek what they have asked for. I
remember a girl out of the children's story, "Willy Wonka and the Chocolate
Factory." Her name was Verruca. All she ever said was, "I WANT IT AND I WANT IT
NOW, DADDY! IF I DON'T GET IT I'LL SCREAM!!!" Lots of people pray that way. Let me
ask you a question. Would you give your 13 year old the keys to the car because he wants
it? Of course not! Sometimes we demand things in prayer, when a loving God knows it's not
time yet, or He knows a better answer. We must seek HIM and be yielded to HIS will and HIS
way. After all, He loved us enough to give His only son to die for our sins, therefore, He
will not deny us any good thing that is best for us.
3) Knock and keep on knocking. So many Christians will ask. They will seek
God, but then they just sit there and wait for the answer to fall out of the sky. You'll
never get a thing just sitting there! Get up and do what you know to do! Then God will
answer! Let me give you an example of what I mean. People will pray for a job, some will
even seek the will and purpose of God. Then, they sit down and wait and wait and wait and
tell everyone how spiritual they are in living by faith, (when in truth they are usually
freeloading off family and friends). Get up! Knock on doors, send resumes and keep at it
until God opens the right door! Old timers call it, "Putting feet to your
prayers." Remember, "...faith without works is dead" (James 2:20b).
The miraculous happens when we have done all we can. The possible is up to us. The
impossible is up to God. There it is: ask, seek, knock. One without the other two and the
formula will not work. "With men this is impossible; but with God all things
are possible." (Matt. 19:26b). When you ask God's help, and you seek His
will and way, and then get up and do what you know to do -- you and God together are an
unbeatable combination!
William "Mark" Bristow and his wife, Lisa pastor a
church in Monahans, Texas called Grace Fellowship. He is an anointed servant of God who is
blessed with the Gifts of the Holy Spirit operating in his ministry. He is also
multi-talented in a music ministry of leading in praise and worship vocally as well as on
the organ and piano. He can be contacted via email at: grace@ultravision.net
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BOOK REVIEW
TURMOIL IN THE TOY BOX
By Phil Phillips
Turmoil in the Toy Box is a shocking expose` of the toy and
cartoon industry. It reveals the hidden dangers found in many of the popular toys and
cartoons such as He-Man and Masters of the Universe, Barbie, Rainbow Brite, G.I. Joe,
Smurfs, Dungeons & Dragons, Care Bears, ThunderCats and E.T.; to name a few. This book
unmasks the New Age, the occult, and the violent and Satanic influences that have invaded
the once innocent toy box.
Phil Phillips seeks to make people aware of what is happening today in the
toy and cartoon industry. He demonstrates how the occult, violence and heavy sexual
overtones in this sort of entertainment are affecting our children. The book not only
takes an in-depth look at the toy and cartoon industry, but also provides the proper tools
needed to assist the reader in the assimilation of knowledge to help in the proper
guidance of children, thereby avoiding the traps within the media. Although not every toy
or cartoon series is covered, Turmoil in the Toy Box is the most thoroughly
researched and balanced expose` available today in its field.
This book also explains the importance of play, and how toys can enhance
or stunt a child's development. In addition, Turmoil in the Toy Box provides the
reader with an alternative to today's popular toys.
-------------------------------------------
Phil Phillips is an evangelist and author and is recognized as the
leading Christian authority in the area of today's toys, their related cartoons and their
effects on children. Phil conducts multi-media seminars throughout the United States,
Canada and Australia. Phil has appeared on such shows as 100 Huntley Street, Marlin
Maddaux's Point of View, TBN and the Hal Lindsey Show.
Click here to order from the Catalog
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POETRY CORNER
PRAY AMERICA
By Lydia Chorpening
Your hands, once strong, by instilled faith,
Are dangling at your sides.
The firm foundation where once you stood,
Has now become a slip'ry slide.
Who rules your city streets today,
And runs the hallways of your schools?
Where's your respect for aging folks--
The unborn babe, or Golden Rule?
You're uniformed--ignorant by choice,
The media's news are blatant lies.
You, who were built on Godly truth,
Have veered to arrogance and pride.
Awake America, and pray,
Awake to truth and dignity.
Turn to the faith which once you knew,
Cry for a change in your decree.
Oh country, once where brave and strong,
Were keepers of your door.
Turn back to God--away from sin,
Fall on your face and pray once more.
Will you not turn to God once more,
With humble, contrite soul?
Perhaps God's mercy will turn again,
And cleanse our land and make us whole.
------------------------------------------------------------
Lydia Chorpening has written many other anointed
poems. To obtain a free list of her other titles you may write her at: N3444 Hwy. 63,
Shell Lake, WI 548721
This poem was also published in a free bi-monthly
Christian Magazine for women entitled Gentle Doves. Gentle Doves is
published by Ruth Olson Ministries. To request a free copy you may email Ruth Olsen at: jrolson@pressenter.com or visit her website at: http://www.pressenter.com/~jrolson/
| PERSONAL WORD FROM THE MILLERS |
 |
"I, Wisdom, dwell with Prudence and find out knowledge of
witty inventions." Proverbs 8:12
We could never have dreamed in our wildest imaginations, how God would
open up the world to the gospel with this new, "witty invention" called the
World Wide Web on the Internet. The church now has the ability to reach virtually every
soul in the world who has access to a computer. Researchers really don't know how many
people are on line as the numbers grow daily. The one region where we have a fairly
accurate number of those with access to the Internet is in the United States and Canada.
That number alone is over 50 million! World-wide, there are estimated hundreds of millions
of people who daily plug in to the Internet! Perhaps the most exciting news of all, is the
fact that the number of homes acquiring computers and connecting to the Internet has
doubled in the last 18 months, and continues to grow at an ever-increasing rate.
Through the witty invention of Cyberspace, God has pulled down the
religious and political barriers that have kept the Gospel out of many nations. Praise God
that the Gospel is now walking through solid walls and locked doors. God is quickening the
pace. This Gospel of the Kingdom is being preached around the world; He is coming soon!
We are amazed that the Lord has called us to this particular ministry as
we certainly are not computer experts. The Lord has been gracious to send us several
wonderful people who have given of their time voluntarily to help us get started in this
endeavor. We are certainly grateful for each of them.
We are also especially blessed with all the encouragement we have received
from each of you who have written to us or signed our guest register. We would like to
request continued prayer from you as we are involved in this Internet Ministry full time
and are seeking God as to how we can make the BibleResources.org site more of a blessing to
people around the world. In the beginning we tried to answer all of the email but we now
have had over 144,000 visits in the past year to our site and hundreds of letters so it
has become impossible to answer it all personally. However, we are seeking ways to remedy
this problem so you can hear from us.
One of the things we are doing is to send auto-generated letters to all
who write us so each one knows that we did read their comments. Then, if letters are of
such a nature that they need an individual reply, we will try to respond later as we
and/or our staff can get to it. (At the present we only have a small staff). We really
love to hear from each of you. We are getting many questions as to what the Bible says
about different subjects so we are now working on a link entitled "BIBLE
ANSWERS" that will have a topical index of the most asked questions with the Bible
answers. We can help more people by spending the time putting new material on our site
than just answering one letter at a time.
Other changes in our site include:
(1.) The availability for speedier downloads for all those that come to
our site as we now have the capabilities of a T3 line through our server. This means you
will be able to get on and go through our site much more quickly.
(2.) Posted helps on our front page for computer beginners who need instructions as to how
to go through the various areas of our site (Tour Guide Link). (This information will help
you on any site in the Internet).
Also another link (Site Seeing Link) that lists the contents and information available in
all areas of our site.
(3) The new link entitled BIBLE ANSWERS that will have a topical index of many different
subjects in alphabetical order with Bible answers and scripture references to help in
Bible Study and answer the most asked questions posed to us.
(4.) Secure transactions for those who desire to order books or Bible Study material from
our CHAPEL BOOKSTORE. (You can now order immediately the books you desire and feel safe
about your credit card orders).
(5.) Additional articles added to our bimonthly OVERCOMING LIFE DIGEST.
This link is one of the most popular sites as this magazine covers a number of subjects
that we are attempting to make interesting and informative for all ages and walks of life.
Thank you again for your prayers as we really appreciate your love and
support of this ministry for the Lord. Pray with us, that we will be able to stay on the
cutting edge with the BibleResources.org Web-site, and that God will furnish the
finances, knowledge, wisdom, and all else we need to accomplish the work of spreading the
message of Jesus Christ to this lost world.
His grateful servants,
Bud & Betty Miller
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