From the Body to the Body
Vital Words to the Body of Christ
from the Harvest Team at New Foundation Publications
We pray these words encourage you
in your walk to press into the Kingdom.
A Bits and
Pieces
by Ben Lucas
So many Christians are clothed spiritually in bits of some church doctrines, pieces of someone else's teaching, some tradition, and just scraps of personal righteousness. They look like David would have looked in Saul's armor and with Saul's sword, funny, ineffective and really dumb.
Our Lord has graciously provided effective and complete armor for His army. But it must be learned and it takes time. Then it must be experienced and that takes time. Unfortunately today's "instant Christian" is like the "90 day wonders" in World War II. The 90 day wonders were civilians who had gone through 90 days of training and then were sent into the front lines as Lieutenants. Many of them died, but thousands and thousands of enlisted men died because of the 90 day wonder inexperience. All they knew was the book, and in a life and death situation, too often death is the result.
Reading about and being able to answer questions about or quote what you read does not make you a doctor (or Soul Doctor), a soldier (or a Christian Witness). A three-year-old who could quote paragraphs from a medical book would not get many patients, even if his folks rented him or her an office. Only reading, studying, experiencing, training, failing, succeeding, learning and taking the necessary time, according to the rules will make you a doctor or Soul Doctor. It takes even more time to become an effective specialist in anything.
Being an effective Christian requires something extra. We must learn and we have to quit sinning. Becoming a Christian does not give us a license to sin. ALL liars will have their place in the lake of fire. ALL includes all Christian liars.
Today's instant Christians remind me of the sports fan who pays to get in to see the game and spends his time criticizing the coach who is paid $1,000,000 a year to be there, or the players who are paid far more to take part. The Instant Christian talks as if he knows it all, but he paid to get in. Most of we survivors have scars caused by some 90 day wonder Christian(s) who meant well, thought he or she knew what was happening, and took his answers right out of the book. Usually all they left out was the time and growth factor.
The Book, our Bible is absolutely true without question, it is true and flawless. But time and experience plays an important part in our use of the book Listen to Paul. Galatians 4:1 "The heir, as long as he is a child, differeth nothing from a servant, though he be Lord of all; but is under tutors and governors until the time appointed of the father." The heir as long as he is a child can quote "My God will supply all my needs" and it is quite true. But while he is a child what he needs is to learn, among other things, obedience. Learning obedience is easier if you are paying attention. Our Father has learned a. sure fire way to get our attention. He applies pain or suffering. What the child may need, when he is quoting promises he doesn't understand, may not be a new Cadillac, it may be bankruptcy. And our Father loves us enough to give us exactly what we need, when we need it.
You may say, "God is good He would not let me be hurt", Psalm 91 and other scriptures. I answer Jesus learned obedience through the things that He suffered. Heb. 5:8. Our loving Father allowed Jesus, all the Apostles, most of the first century Christians and today's, Russians, Chinese and others to suffer and die for His name. The New Testament again and again tells us suffering, affliction and even death is part of the process. Phil. 1:29. But these babes in Christ seem far more interested in a kingdom with themselves as king of things, than the Kingdom with our Lord Jesus Christ as King of kings and Lord of lords.
Listen to these babies prophecy: great things, mighty armies, prosperity, wonderful health, family problems resolved, good things, Cadillac's, etc. All to be provided by the Lord, without conditions and without any effort on the part of the one prophesied to. These baby prophets may be popular for a while, but I don't find the Bible prophets prophesying this way. For instance, God almost never pats someone on the back and in Revelations in the prophecies to the churches there was something for everyone to do. God is not a blabber mouth. The Bible says 1st Corinthians 14:29 "Let the prophets speak two or three and let the others judge". If I were judging ( I know I am) most of what is called prophecy today I would have to say most are sincere but. sincerely mistaken. The rest, pretty well clay favored with perhaps one in ten straight from God Himself, a message to His church.
American Christians are so conceited it is sickening. They (some of them) really believe that they can step up to an altar, a platform or pulpit and God Himself will take time to speak a personal word to all 500 retarded babes in Christ. Who will not grow and learn, but who did take time away from the TV to attend, enjoy the emotional high and offer their $5. All the promises in the book are yours, as soon as you learn and meet the conditions. The conditions for prosperity can be found in Joshua 1:8 and Psalms 1.
The Father does say, "All that I have is yours". Just like He said to the prodigal who stayed at home. Luke 15:31. But even with the Father right in the house with him, the prodigal never really felt free to possess his possessions. It was all going to be his--- someday.
Today's Christians agree, they quote the promises, and do without and lie about it, Paul has a word for those who "confess" lies, Romans 3:15 - "If the truth of God hath more abounded through my lie unto his glory; why yet am I also judged a sinner." Prayers are answered, God is glorified when our prayers are answered, John 15:8 But there are conditions that limit even God's ability to answer our prayers. Psalm 66:18, Proverbs 18:9, James 4:1 and many others. See also, "Prayer is not the answer."
It is all ours, salvation is free, our God has given us the victory. Just exactly like He gave the Israelites the land of milk and honey. All that was required of them was that they kill the giants, the Hittites, the Gadites and all the other "ites" and do it little by little so that the other enemies did not get them while they were taking their possession.
As soon as we conquer sin, fear, and the other things that drive us we can move into victory. Bits and pieces won't get you into Canaan Land. "My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge" Hosea 4:6. Every piece of His armor is learned, not prayed. The Lord has provided complete equipment for victory. It is a process, first, babes in Christ, second, children of God, then sons of God, and finally, men of God, it takes time.
Please Christian, don't settle for bits and pieces of other peoples truth and power Remember too, all armies have casualties. Dying for Jesus is Glorious, but dying for dumb and being ignorant doesn't glorify or help anyone.
We would like to hear from you, sharing your calling in God, and what the Lord is speaking to your heart in this last hour of time. Looking forward to hearing from you soon. Email us at: Vitalwords@aol.com
Vital Links to the Body of Christ
New Foundation Books complete on the internet
Caring Cherers Educational Supplements for Parents training God's Heritage
Children Sing the Word Scripture Songs
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