Harvest Warriors Newsletter

Transcription

1 Harvest Warriors Newsletter Volume 7 Issue 3 October 08 Conquering In The Midst of War! Part II The second part of what we must do to conquer in the midst of war involves setting our goals. What is the purpose of our life here on earth? Exactly what do we seek to accomplish with our life? If we don t have the answer to this question settled in our mind, we will be defeated. Paul wrote about this by saying: Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Philippians 3:13-14 The Apostle Paul was able to endure all the suffering he went through because his mind was fixed on his goal the goal of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. When Paul wrote that he deliberately pulled his mind away from the past and kept it focused on the future, he was making reference not only to the bad things that had happened to him, but to the good things as well. When we are in the midst of troubles and suffering, our tendency is to think about how good it was in the past, how much better our life was in years gone by. Even the children of Israel did this in Numbers 20:3-5. God had brought them to a place in the wilderness where there was no water. As their thirst mounted, they bitterly complained to Moses that he had forced them to leave Egypt! They conveniently forgot all about the terrible things they suffered as slaves, but only remembered the good things about Egypt. Don t let yourself fall into this trap! How many times have you heard someone say, If only I could go back and live in the days of my parents. Things were so much better then. No, NO! Our future in Christ is so much better than anything we can ever imagine! This goal, this upward call of God in Christ Jesus is worth ANY sacrifice we have to make here on earth! What, exactly, is this prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus? I have never heard anyone define it, nor have I ever read anything anyone has written giving a clear definition of this prize. I want to do that for you here. Years ago, when I was all alone and in extremely intense warfare, the Lord gave me the privilege of seeing and talking to angels at various times. One time I was talking to my main guardian angel, Joshua. I don t remember exactly what we were talking about, but Joshua made the comment to me that when I got to heaven, he would be one of my servants. I looked at him and shook my head saying, I don t think so! Joshua was surprised, and asked me, W hy? Do you have a problem with me? 1

2 No, I answered. I don t have a problem with you, you seem to be a very nice angel. But listen to me, Joshua. When I get to heaven I will have a completely new body. I will never be sick or tired or in pain. What do I want a servant for? I don t want any servants! You go find someone else to serve, and I ll find someone to serve. Joshua was obviously astonished. Suddenly he laughed and said, Father told me you would surprise me! Tell me, exactly what do you think you will be doing in heaven? Do you think you will just sit around on a cloud playing a golden harp? I really don t know, I replied. I know I will spend a lot of time praising and worshiping the Lord, but beyond that I really don t know. Well, let me tell you something, he said sternly, you will be so busy you will be begging the Father for all the help you can get! Immediately after making that statement he disappeared. I was so frustrated! I never had the chance to ask him what he was talking about. What did he mean by saying I would be so busy I would be begging for help? This drove me to God s word looking for answers. As I searched, the Holy Spirit guided me to the following scriptures: For unto us a Child is born, Unto us a Son is given; And the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of His government and peace There will be no end... Isaiah 9:6-7 These verses are a prophetic description of Jesus. They tell us that in the future, Jesus will be the head over everything. He will be the head of the government over all of God s creation. The key here, is the part that says: Of the increase of His government and peace there will be no end. The Bible tells us that we serve a God who delights in creating things. After everything is wrapped up and finished here on this earth, God will create a new earth and a new heaven. (Revelation 21:1) This scripture in Isaiah tells us that God will continue to create forever. He will never stop creating. The kingdom of Jesus Christ will continue to increase in size continually throughout all of eternity. God will continue to create new worlds and new universes and new races of creatures. He will never stop. The prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus the Apostle Paul was writing about, is what our position can be in all of this vast creation. The following scriptures tell us exactly what this can be. Of His own will He brought us forth by the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of His creatures. James 1:18 The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together. Romans 8:16-17 This is a faithful saying: For if we died with Him, We shall also live with Him. If we endure, We shall also reign with Him, If we deny Him, He also will deny us. If we are faithless, He remains faithful; He cannot deny Himself. 2 Timothy 2: and has made us kings and priests to His God and Father, to Him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen. Revelation 1:6 The verse in James tells us that we Christians are to be the firstfruits of His creatures. What does the word firstfruits mean? A first fruit is the first apple off the tree. We know that there will be more apples. Or, a first fruit is the first orange off the tree, knowing that there will be more oranges. All the oranges and apples off a tree will not be exactly alike, there will be some differences, but they will be very similar. This tells us that God intends to create more creatures that are not identical to human beings, but very 2

3 similar. We Christians will be the first of countless creatures that God will create throughout all of eternity. We will be the first of the countless beings that will inhabit Jesus Christ s ever increasing kingdom in eternity. God will create new worlds and new races of creatures. He will NEVER stop creating! However, of all the creatures God is going to create in the future, NONE of them will have the position of privilege available to us. We will inhabit new and glorified bodies that are exactly like the body of Jesus Christ. (1John 3:2) Of all the creatures God is going to create, WE are the only ones that will be literally bone of His bone and flesh of His flesh! WE are the children of God, related to God in a unique way that no other class of creatures in all of eternity will have the privilege of being. As YOU, a child of God, will walk on one of these new worlds, the creatures of that world will point to you and say to one another, Do you see? There goes a child of God! As great a privilege as it is to be a child of God, this is not all that God has planned for us. Romans 8 tells us that we will be joint heirs with Jesus Christ, and 2 Timothy adds that we will be co-rulers with Jesus. Out of all of the countless new worlds and universes and creatures God is going to create throughout eternity, WE Christians, have the opportunity and great privilege not only of being the very children of God, but also of being at the very pinnacle of it all, of being co-rulers with Jesus Christ! No wonder God s word declares: But as it is written: Eye has not seen, not ear heard, Nor have entered into the heart of man The things which God has prepared for those who love Him. 1 Corinthians 2:9 What Will Heaven Be Like? Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also... John 14:1-3 The Lord God planted a garden eastward in Eden, and there He put the man whom He had formed. And out of the ground the Lord God made every tree grow that is pleasant to the sight and good for food. The tree of life was also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Genesis 2:8-9 If the Lord took such great care and attention when He created Eden, how much more so is He taking in creating the new heaven and the new earth? God created Eden for Adam and Eve, who were God s creatures, His image bearers, BUT, WE are His BRIDE. God created this earth and universe in just 6 days. Jesus has had over 2,000 years to create the new heaven and the new earth. I well remember one day several years ago when I was out walking with my dog. It was in August of that year, and we had been experiencing a terrible drought. All the green trees that carpet the mountains where we live had turned brown. All the leaves and even the pine needles had died because of the lack of water. I cried out to the Lord and said, Oh Lord, just look at the terrible destruction of your beautiful creation. How can you bear to destroy it? I know that it will all be destroyed in the end, but it grieves my heart to think about such destruction. Immediately the Lord answered and said, Child, you are so grieved because you have no idea just how much better the new earth will be. The new heaven and the new earth will be much more beautiful and wonderful than this old earth ever was, even before sin entered it! We Christians don t think enough or study God s word enough about what our new home will be like. As a result, we don t look forward to going there. Instead we cling to this old world, and grieve when we think about leaving it. When a loved one dies, we see this as a great loss, especially if it is a child or a young person who has died. If we had a good concept of the wonders of the place they have gone to, we would understand that death is not loss, it is gain! For those who die in Christ, death is the entrance into a new life so much better than anything we can possibly experience here on 3

4 this old earth. The Apostle Paul had a deep understanding of what heaven will be. That s why he wrote, For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain. (Philippians 1:21) Let s take a look at what Randy Alcorn wrote in his wonderful book titled Heaven. In becoming new, will the old Earth retain much of what it once was? The new Earth will still be just as much Earth as the new us will still be us. The world into which we shall enter in the Parousia of Jesus Christ is... not another world; it is this world, this heaven, this earth; both, however passed away and renewed. It is these forests, these fields, these cities, these streets, these people, that will be the scene of redemption. Shouldn t we expect, then, that some of the same geological features of the old Earth will characterize the new? Shouldn t we expect the New Earth s sky to be blue? Might God refashion the rain forests or the Grand Canyon? If the earth becomes the New Earth, might Lake Louise become the New Lake Louise? Might we travel to a familiar place and say, This is the very spot we stood on, in the same sense we ll be able to say, These are the very hands I used to help the needy? (Heaven, by Randy Alcorn, p. 245) As we set our minds and hearts on Heaven, we should not only go back to the Garden of Eden but also move forward to the Holy City, where we will experience both the riches of nature unruined and human creativity unleashed. Everything changes when we grasp that all we love about the old Earth will be ours on the New Earth either in the same form or another. Once we understand this, we won t regret leaving all the wonders of the world we ve seen or mourn not having seen its countless other wonders. Why? Because we will yet be able to see them. God is no more done with the earth than He s done with us. (Heaven, by Randy Alcorn, p. 248) As we read the book of Revelation, we tend to only think about living in the Holy City, the New Jerusalem. We completely overlook the fact that Heaven includes BOTH the New Jerusalem AND the New Earth. Therefore He said: A certain nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom and to return. Luke 19:12 This is in a parable by Jesus describing Himself. Clearly, Jesus describes heaven as BOTH a country and a city. That would include both the New Jerusalem and the New Earth. These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off were assured of them, embraced them and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth. For those who say such things declare plainly that they seek a homeland. And truly if they had called to mind that country from which they had come out, they would have had opportunity to return. But now they desire a better, that is, a heavenly country. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for He has prepared a city for them. Hebrews 11:13-16 But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, to an innumerable company of angels,... Hebrews 12:22 For here we have no continuing city, but we seek the one to come. Hebrews 13:14 Then I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. Revelation 21:2 And the nations of those who are saved shall walk in its light, and the kings of the earth bring their glory and honor into it. Its gates shall not be shut at all by day (there shall be no night there). And they shall bring the glory and the honor of the nations into it. Revelation 21:24-26 These scriptures show us clearly that Heaven, our eternal dwelling place includes not only the holy city, the New Jerusalem, but also a country, the New Earth. Revelation 21:24 shows us that the New Earth is for those who are saved. That s you and me! I think most of us will have a dwelling place both in the New Jerusalem and on the New Earth. We will freely come and go from the New Earth to the New Jerusalem. Rev. 21:2 shows us that the New Jerusalem will come down to rest on the New Earth. It will be the capital city of the New Earth. Too many people envision everyone who has been saved dwelling only in the New Jerusalem. I have heard more than one person tell me that they think it will be really crowded for so many people to dwell in just one city. Let s look at what scripture has to say about this New Jerusalem. And he who talked with me had a gold reed to measure the city, its gates, and its wall. The city is laid 4

5 out as a square; its length is as great as it breadth. And he measured the city with the reed; twelve thousand furlongs. Its length, breadth and height are equal. Then he measured its wall: one hundred and forty-four cubits, according to the measure of a man, that is, of an angel. Revelation 21:15-17 Please notice that scripture says that the measurements of the city were according to the measure of a man. This means that it is a literal physical city, and the measurements given are literal physical measurements, the same measurements as we have here on earth. I have read two different conversions to miles, some say it is equal to 1,400 miles, and some say it is equal to 1,500 miles. A city of this size in America would stretch from the border of Canada south to the border of Mexico and from the Appalachian Mountains to the border of California. The city is in the shape of a cube as the angel measured it. Most buildings have 10 feet per story. That is, the ceiling of most rooms is 10 feet high. If we assign a generous 12 feet to one story, the height of the New Jerusalem is 600,000 stories high! That makes the highest buildings in New York and else where in the world look short. By these measurements, the ground level of the city alone contains nearly 2 million square miles of space. In his book Heaven, Randy Alcorn remarks: If they were on different levels, billions of people could occupy the New Jerusalem with many square miles per person. (Heaven, by Randy Alcorn, p. 230) Rev. 21:3 tells us that God s dwelling place will be in the New Jerusalem. No doubt His throne will be at the highest point in the city. The city is so tall, it is no wonder God s throne is described in scripture as being on Mount Zion. Habakkuk 2:14 tells us that the whole earth, that is, the New Earth, will be filled with the knowledge of the Lord. Combined with Rev. 21:24 & 26, there is no doubt that we Christians will dwell on the New Earth as well as in the New Jerusalem. Also she [the New Jerusalem] had a great and high wall with twelve gates, and twelve angels at the gates... Revelation 21:12 By faith he [Abraham] dwelt in the land of promise as in a foreign country, dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise; for he waited for the city [the New Jerusalem] which has foundations, whose builder and maker is God. Hebrews 11:9-10 The gates guarded by angels refers to security. God knows that after all the terrible things we have experienced here on this earth, the one thing we crave is security. NOTHING can come against the New Jerusalem, and no evil can ever enter into it. The foundations built by God Himself also refer to permanence and strength and security. There will be other cities on the New Earth, but none to equal the New Jerusalem. The New Jerusalem will be lit with the glory of Jesus, and it will provide light for the whole earth. (Rev. 21:23-24) And he showed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding from the throne of God and of the Lamb. Revelation 22:1 The river of life flows out from the throne of God which is at the highest point in the city. It flows down throughout the city, down 600,000 stories or 1,400 miles. I have no doubt that it has many branches throughout the city. The trees of live grow on either side of the river of life. God displays His characteristics through the wonders of the creation. We cannot begin to imagine just how much more spectacular the New Heaven and the New Earth will be than our current heaven and earth. In his wonderful series The Tales of Narnia, by C.S. Lewis, he describes the entrance of his characters into heaven. The character named Aslan, was a lion who represented Jesus Christ. Lewis wrote: And as He [Aslan, or Jesus] spoke He no longer looked to them like a lion; but the things that began to happen after that were so great and beautiful that I cannot write them. And for us this is the end of all the stories, and we can most truly say that they all lived happily ever after. 5

6 But for them it was only the beginning of the real story. All their life in this world and all their adventures in Narnia had only been the cover and the title page: now at last they were beginning Chapter One of the Great Story which no one on earth has read; which goes on forever; in which every chapter is better than the one before. (The Last Battle, by C.S. Lewis, p. 228.) So many people, especially as they get older, look back over their life and feel great disappointment. Through the actions of others, as well as their own mistakes, they may have never accomplished what they feel they should have accomplished. They feel that their life has been wasted and worthless. BUT God is concerned with our characters. What we have become as a person is what will count in eternity. The end of our life here on earth is not really the end, if we are servants of Jesus Christ. It is only the beginning of our real life, our life that will never end. What we have become here on earth determines what we will be in heaven. That s why the scripture says: If we endure, We shall also reign with Him. 2 Timothy 2:12... and if children, then heirs heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together. For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. Romans 8:17-18 Our sufferings here on earth are specifically designed by God to develop in us those characteristics that are necessary for our future jobs in heaven. We will reign with Christ ONLY if we suffer with Him here on earth. Suffering is a God-ordained part of the life of every Christian. Blessed are you when men hate you, And when they exclude you, And revile you, and cast out your name as evil, For the Son of Man s sake. Rejoice in that day and leap for joy! For indeed your reward is great in heaven. 6:22-23 Luke Beloved, do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened to you; but rejoice to the extent that you partake of Christ s sufferings, that when His glory is 6 revealed, you may also be glad with exceeding joy. 1 Peter 4:12-13 We are told by the Lord to rejoice in our sufferings! Why? Because of the resulting rewards we will receive in heaven. We should form the habit of thinking about Heaven every day of our lives. Getting to heaven should become our all-consuming goal. C.S. Lewis described how our desire for heaven should be, in one of the characters in his Narnia series. This character was Reepicheep, a warrior mouse. In the Narnia books, heaven was symbolized as Aslan s country. In Reepicheep s final voyage seeking Aslan s country, he expressed his desire for heaven as follows: While I can, I sail east in the Dawn Trader. When she fails me, I paddle east in my coracle. When she sinks, I shall swim east with my four paws. And when I can swim no longer, if I have not reached Aslan s country, or shot over the edge of the world in some vast cataract, I shall sink with my nose to the sunrise... (The Voyage of the Dawn Trader, by C.S. Lewis, p. 180) Anticipating heaven won t eliminate pain, but it does lessen it and puts it into perspective. Meditating on Heaven is a great pain reliever, and will be a great help to us to have victory in the midst of the battle. I strongly recommend the book Heaven, by Randy Alcorn. The entire book is based on scripture and should, I believe, be required reading for every Christian. You can purchase it at your local Christian bookstore, or through the order from on the last page of this newsletter. A Vision Recently, the Lord gave Daniel a very sobering vision. He was taken to the gate to heaven where he saw a very large crowd of people. He did not know how many, but there were thousands. He saw an angel speaking to the people. The angel told them that God would not

7 allow them to enter into heaven that they must go to hell for all eternity. Daniel saw deep confusion on the faces of the people as the angel spoke. Someone spoke up and said, But how can this be. We are all Christians. All of us have accepted Jesus as our Lord and Savior. We have attended church and prayed to God. How can it be that God will not allow us into heaven? The angel replied, Because all of you are guilty of the sin of murder. You have practiced murder and have never repented for this terrible sin. Revelation chapter 22 verse 15 states very clearly that no murderer shall enter into heaven. A woman spoke up and said, I have never murdered anyone! The angel replied, Yes you have, you have had an abortion. God s word is very clear. Life begins at the time of conception. Abortion is murder! The woman stammered, But, the baby would have been a Down s Syndrome child. Don t you know that all human life is a gift from God? the angel said. This Down s Syndrome baby was a gift from God to you. But I could never have cared for such a handicapped child, the woman replied. God s word says that through Christ ALL things are possible. God would have helped you, and this child would have been a blessing in your life and the lives of others, the Angel answered. Then a man spoke up and said, I am a man, I have never had an abortion, and I have never killed anyone. How can God say I am guilty of murder? In doing this, you became a fellow partaker in their sins of murder. None of you have ever repented for these sins nor have you changed your ways. You considered your finances to be more important than the lives of children and God s word. You voted for people who you thought would benefit you financially; you ignored their stand on abortion as well as homosexuality. These things are an abomination to God! In doing this you partook in these sins. Someone else spoke up and said, But my pastor never taught me anything about this. How could I have known? All of you have had the Bible in your hands. It was your responsibility to read and study God s word. You chose to stay in a church with a pastor who entertained you, and who kept you in your comfort zone. You did not seek out a church with a pastor who took a stand against sin. You are without excuse, was the angel s final reply. This is a most sober warning to all of us! We so easily compromise with sin and the ways of the world. Unfortunately we think the most important thing in our lives is our finances. When elections come around, we vote for those people who promise us the most in terms of our comfort and our finances. Abortion and homosexuality has become so rampant and accepted in our nation because of Christians refusing to take a stand against it. We vote party lines instead of researching to see exactly what each person running for office stands for. How can you be a Christian and vote for someone who promotes these abominations against God? Those of you reading this still have time to repent and change. Please don t fall into this trap by Satan! The angel responded very gravely and very sternly. All of you have participated in abortion because you have supported and voted to put people into office who were pro-abortion. 7

8 Love Offerings We are currently in a time of great fear in terms of our finances. Satan is the God of this world, and his number one tool is fear. He has brought about the current economic crises to manipulate the presidential election, and to stop evangelism and other Christian ministries. This time of fear that is affecting everyone, is also a time of great harvest. It is vitally important that we do not stop giving to the work of God s kingdom. We cannot let fear stop us from giving. Why? Because it is ONLY the Lord who can provide for, and keep us, during this time of economic crisis. It is only as we continue to give into God s kingdom that He will bless us in our finances. We must be sure that the various ministries are enabled to keep going to reap the harvest during this difficult time. This word is true for everyone who is in a ministry as well. Those of us in ministries are not exempt from giving. We are required by God to give even more. We are a faith supported ministry. That means, that the Lord has put us into a position where we must depend on your help to continue this work. It is only as you give to us that we are able to continue on and expand the work God has given us to do. We deeply appreciate those of you who do support us. As your letters and checks come in, we lay hands on each one and pray fervently that our Lord will bless you in return. Please send your offering in the enclosed envelope. Prayer Basket New CDs Available This month I am adding two new CDs in the Walking With God series. They are titled Lord Test My Works, and Conquering In The Midst Of War. The CD titled Lord Test My Works was recorded live at a conference I taught at in New York City in August. It will deeply challenge you to examine the motives behind everything you do in God s kingdom. This is something we almost never think about, but God s word addresses very clearly. In the teaching I make reference to a book by Howard Pitman titled Placebo. That book is available on the order form at the end of this newsletter. The second CD, titled Conquering In The Midst Of War was also taught in New York, but we were unable to obtain a live recording so I have re-recorded it. This newsletter and the next are a summary of what is in the CD. This is a really important topic as we are facing some very difficult times in the near future. These two new CDs along with the others in the series are also on the order form. Do you have a need or prayer request? We have a prayer basket here in the office for your prayer requests. Please send them to us and we will be glad to join with you in prayer. We put all the prayer requests we receive into our prayer basket to be lifted up before the Lord. 8

9 Order Form copy) Heaven, by Randy Alcorn ($25.50 per Walking With God CD Series CD #1 Learning To Hear God s Voice CD #2 How to Know Your Call & How To Get Started CD # 3 Slaying The Old Man CD # 4 Dealing With Anger CD # 5 Lord Test My Works CD # 6 Conquering in the Midst of War All CDs are $5.00 each plus $2.50 shipping & handling. We can send up to 3 CDs for $2.50, but we will need $4.00 for all 4 CDs. He Came to Set the Captives Free, by Rebecca Brown, M.D. ($15 per copy) Prepare For War, by Rebecca Brown, M.D. ($15 per copy) Becoming A Vessel of Honor, by Rebecca Brown, M.D. ($15 per copy) Unbroken Curses, by Rebecca Brown, M.D. ($15 per copy) Standing On The Rock, by Rebecca Brown, M.D. ($14 per copy) Placebo, by Howard Pittman ($6.00 per copy) Destined to Overcome, by Paul Billheimer ($10.50 per copy) Don t Waste Your Sorrows, by Paul Billheimer ($10.50 per copy) Destined to Overcome, by Paul Billheimer ($10.50 per copy) Spiritual Warfare Course, CD set( $ plus $20.00 shipping and handling) Resource Offer #5 Heaven by Randy Alcorn & Breaking the Fear of Death by Dr. Rebecca Brown 2 CD set. (Gift of $40 or more) Coseche a Guerreros, Guerra Espiritual Por Rebecca Brown, M.D. Spanish CD set on spiritual warfare 9 CDs. ($50 per set plus $10 for shipping and handling.) Bottles of the Holy Anointing Oil, ($45 per bottle plus $6.00 Postage Pricing: As noted per copy $6.00 postage for 1 or 2 books $12.00 postage for 3 or 4 books $20.00 postage for 5 or more Name and Address: God s Power in Your Life, by R.A. Torrey ($11.50 per copy) The Weapon of Prayer, by E.M. Bounds ($9.50 per copy) Prayer & Spiritual Warfare, by E.M. Bounds ($10.50 per copy) How to Pray, by R.A. Torrey ($7.50 per copy) Mail to: Harvest Warriors Outreach Ministries P.O. Box 65 Clinton, AR