April 9, 2014
I decided to do something a little different, which is to publish the newsletter here. That way if anyone is interested in receiving future newsletters, they may email me and I will add them to the mailing list.
However, for those who have received it, may I ask that you scroll past it down to the part I added. I received a email today, which comes from the website of David Wilkerson. Only God by the leading of His Holy Spirit could arrange such timing of the email (it goes hand in hand with the newsletter.) This is why I do not believe in coincidence - only God...! Bless the name of the Lord. May it encourage others as it encouraged me. May we stand in humble awe at the Sovereignty of the Majestic Creator. All glory and blessings to Him!
Warriors of Endurance
Newsletter
Volume
1 – Issue 5-April 8, 2014
Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together
in unity!
[Ps 133:1]
Most,
if not all of us already know that the forces of darkness, combined with world
governments are plotting, beckoning and coercing mankind (including certain
religious institutions and denominations) to come into unity and show the
‘love’ toward one another. “Why can’t we all just accept our
differences and get along?” is the coy, subtle voice that gushes out from
seducing spirits, as well as the deceived.
It
is not only the secular world that I am speaking about, but those who call
themselves Christians or disciples of Christ.
There are ministers, pastors, preachers, priests (whatever they prefer
to call themselves), who are compromising with the world. Many are promoting Chrislam (combining
Christianity and Islam), linking up with the Vatican (do a study on the
history), turning a blind eye to fornication, adultery, homosexuality,
abortions and other sins. Some leaders are involved in some of these very
things themselves.
“Why can’t we all
just… get along?” The world is calling
for people of all beliefs to unite, with many preachers (as well as well-known
celebrities) stating that there are many roads back to God. Many Christians are stating that we must just
‘get along’, and ‘do not judge’. This is a lie, for Jesus said:
I am THE
WAY, the truth and the life: no man comes unto the Father but BY ME. [Jn14:6]
(emphasis mine)
Judge not according to the appearance, but judge
righteous judgment.
[Jn7:24]
Instead
of the old days where a tent would be set up to attract the curious, wayward
and the lost, many cities now hold church in nightclubs and party bars (some
just offer bible studies there). A
person does not have to do too much searching to find a church with activities
that appeal to them.
There
are churches now that offer (right on the premises) tattoo parlors, snake
handling, ‘toking’ Jesus and/or the Holy Spirit, wrestling, boxing, martial
arts, strobe, disco and laser light shows, artificial smoke and the list goes
on.
Then,
there are the sermons of motivational speaking (how to improve ‘self’; feel
good about ‘self’ – nothing about repentance, holiness, picking up the cross
and dying daily to ‘self’). It is all to
‘bring in the masses to Jesus’ and to
show the unsaved that there are churches that are not ‘religious’, but ‘fun’.
It
is called compromise, amongst other things.
Some insist that Jesus the Christ hung out (chilled) with prostitutes,
thieves, adulteresses, tax collectors.
There’s a story about a tax collector (tax-gatherer) that Jesus told to
“follow Me”. Scripture states that the
tax collector (named Levi) left everything behind to follow Jesus.
They
went to dinner and the Pharisees were asking Jesus why He ate with
tax-gatherers and sinners? They did not
realize that the man had ‘left it all behind’ to follow Jesus. Many use this story to insist that Jesus hung
with all kinds of people.
Mary
Magdalene is another one that is often used, with preachers teaching that she
was a prostitute. Nowhere in the Word of
God does it ever suggest such a thing.
In fact, all it does state is that the Lord cast out seven demons from
her. She followed Him, was a loyal
disciple and was the first person He appeared to after His resurrection.
And certain women, which had been healed of evil spirits
and infirmities, Mary called Magdalene, out of whom went seven devils. [Lk 8:2]
Yet,
despite no biblical evidence, people insist Mary was a prostitute and
therefore, Jesus kept company with prostitutes.
Others insist that the woman caught in adultery was Mary Magdalene, but
that woman was never named. The Lord did
not condemn her and to this day, she remains anonymous.
Jesus/Y’shua
always had a reason for being in the midst of sinners. He taught the people about the kingdom of
God, brought deliverance and healing and revealed the way of salvation –
through Him. He always spoke of
repentance and to be baptized.
Multitudes were brought to Him for healing and deliverance.
It is
not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the
righteous, but sinners. [Mk 2:17]
“Why can’t we all just get
along?” Should we be unequally
yoked? What fellowship has light with
darkness? Can two walk together unless
they are agreed?
Can two walk together, except they be agreed? [Amos 3:3]
Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for
what fellowship has righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion has
light with darkness?
And what concord has Christ with Belial? or what part
has he that believes with an infidel? And what agreement has the temple of God
with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God has said, I will
dwell in them, and walk in them;
and I will be their God, and they shall be My people.
Wherefore come out from among them,
and be ye separate, says the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you,
And will be a Father unto you, and
ye shall be My sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty. [2Cor 6:14-18]
This can be a whole topic in itself
and it is not my intent to delve into it here.
I merely wanted to provoke people to search scripture for themselves,
but keep it all in context. We are to be holy as He is holy (set apart,
sanctified/consecrated).
Some say that we are not to judge,
but the word of God says to judge righteous judgment. To do so, we would do well to remember where
the Lord brought us from and our intent and motive should be the salvation of
the lost, to share the good news of the gospel.
We should always be led of the Lord because it is Him who prepares
hearts and draws people to Himself.
We should not condone false
teaching and worldly ways amongst believers.
Those
who sin are to be rebuked publicly, so that the others may take warning. [1Tim 5:20]
He must
hold firmly to the trustworthy message as it has been taught, so that he can
encourage others by sound doctrine and refute those who oppose it. -
Therefore, rebuke them sharply, so that they will be sound in the faith.”
[Titus 1:9, 13]
Not All Will Accept Us – Even Amongst Believers
We have to accept the fact that not everyone will accept
us and that includes fellow believers.
All of us are under the microscope, so to speak, not only by the
unbelieving, or by family members, friends, but also by the community of fellow
believers. Some will say that they are
being ‘fruit inspectors’, but sadly,
many have a critical spirit that judges unrighteously, seeking to find fault
wherever they can.
But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that
curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully
use you, and persecute you.
[Mat 5:44]
So, we are to love our enemies, bless them, do good and
pray for them. It is a tough call,
especially when there seems to be an onslaught of negativity coming against
us. We cannot repay the way our carnal
nature would want to repay, but instead, we are to do what is not
expected.
When Peter asked how many times he was to forgive
someone, Jesus answered, ‘seventy times seven’, knowing that no one is going to
be able to keep track and count that high.
The Lord gave me a word one time, which I posted. In it, He said that to be perfect did not
mean to be without error. It means to be
made whole, complete and mature in Him.
It is a process and at times, a difficult one.
Life itself brings many sorrows, disappointments, trials
and grievances, but we also have an adversary who loves to attack when we are
already in a weakened state. He will
often influence fellow brethren or those closest to us to say things or act in
ways that are more carnal than they are spiritual, much like Peter when he
rebuked Jesus when He spoke of His suffering and the way He was to die. Jesus in turn, rebuked Peter.
But he turned, and said unto Peter, Get thee behind Me, Satan: you are an offence unto Me: for you
savor not the things that be of God, but those that be of men. [Mat 16:23]
When James and John wanted to call down fire from
heaven, like Elijah, upon the village of some Samaritans who did not receive
Jesus; yet again, Jesus rebuked them.
But He turned, and rebuked them, and said, Ye know not what manner of spirit ye are of. [Lk 9:55]
I
think we can all admit that we have fallen into the trap like Peter, James and
John did, myself included. We make
mistakes, sometimes saying things that we regret or act in a way that is
unbecoming for a believer, or of the wrong spirit, just as illustrated with the
above verses.
There
are ridiculous statements I have heard, such as we are not to be emotional and
that we should overcome our emotions.
Let me try to say this as succinctly as possible. We are not robots. All throughout the Word of God, we see people
who got angry and God did not chastise them.
Joseph, Jacob, Moses, Aaron, Elijah and the list goes on – people who
got angry.
Every
other emotion is mentioned also, grieving, sorrow, joy, delight, travailing
etc. God Himself is said to grieve, to
delight, to anger, to be provoked to jealousy etc, but God cannot sin. We have emotions; man was made in His
image.
What
the Bible does caution us about is not to sin
in our anger; not to let the sun go down on our anger, or in other words, do
not let it fester, lest we give place to the devil. Some people become brutal, cruel or violent
in anger.
Be ye angry, and sin not: let not
the sun go down upon your wrath:
Neither give place to the devil. [Eph 4:27, 28]
One
that I had to learn and recently be reminded of is: being offended. Again, there
are those who say we are not to be offended, ever. The scripture most often used is the one
where Jesus gave the parable of the seeds.
And have no root in themselves, and so endure but for a
time: afterward, when affliction or persecution arises for the word's sake,
immediately they are offended. [Mk 4:17]
Jesus told His apostles that they would be offended
that night because it was written that God would smite the shepherd and the
sheep would scatter [Mk 4:17]. He spoke
about many being offended in the last days and betray one another [Mat
24:10]. The day of Jesus’ arrest, Peter
said that though all would be offended, he would not be; to which Jesus
replied that before the rooster crowed three times, Peter would deny Him.
Offenses happen, but yes, we are to learn to not be offended.
The walk along the narrow path is indeed a difficult one and we may
stumble and fall several times, but we must get back up (arise again).
Silent Sheep
It has been a little less than four weeks since I have
blogged or have done a radio program and many of you have written to see if all
is well. I thank those of you who bless
me with your kind words and encouragement.
Please (once again) forgive the delay.
Lord willing, I hope to answer the emails as soon as possible.
Back in November, it was mentioned on a program that
something most unexpected happened in my life, which left me in shock, raw and
vulnerable – an incredible blow. Yet, I
strived, by the grace and strength of God alone, to continue on. The Lord held me.
At the beginning of February was the ten day fast (no
food), which included (at the end), a three day Esther fast (no food or
drink). Five other sisters in Christ
joined in on the three day fast, as mentioned in the previous newsletter. About that time, I had stated that long ago I
had learned that the strongest onslaught from the enemy is just before the
victory. This is a true and proven
statement, which many saints can attest to.
However, I was to learn more. Two sisters in Christ, who do not personally
know each other, stated during two separate conversations that the enemy comes
at us after a victory also. At that time, I was not inclined to agree, as
my experience was as stated above. I was
about to stand quite corrected, and the two sisters in Christ were proven to be
right in their knowledge and wisdom. I
was about to learn this and I have now.
It took about three weeks after the fast before this
lesson was to be presented to me. Emails
came and phone calls were made that challenged me to the core. Some were quite accusatory, such as “a woman has no place speaking in public
where men will hear her. A woman is to
be silent and not teach.”
Then questions such as: why did you come to the United States?
Why did He send you; there are plenty of solid believers here? How
could you leave your friends, family behind?
Would God separate you from those who love you? Does He not care about them? Are you sure that God sent you? God does not send women to foreign countries
alone. Are you sure you are in God’s will? Godly women are to be meek and quiet…and
on and on it went.
Now, the people that began asking such questions (as far
as I know) do not know each other. One
person questioned the ‘worship hours’ that I presented on BTR (Blog Talk
Radio), rather than speaking forth the Word of God. So, here was someone perturbed that music was
played rather than speaking, whereas others were perturbed at my speaking on a
public platform.
There were other emails that challenged my memory. I cannot possibly remember all that I have
said in emails. There are far too many
that have been exchanged over the years.
Even if it was only a month ago, I cannot remember, as there is just too
much exchange. All I do know is that
whenever I write, I try to remember that I am a child of God and that He sees
all I do, say and even knows my thoughts.
I am accountable and responsible for what I say and do.
It is quite likely that at times I could have responded
better than I did, or that I misunderstood something someone said. Yes, I make mistakes and can be wrong, but I
try my best. With that being said, it
has to be admitted that in my already vulnerable state, the negative emails
took their toll on me.
We all get weary, overwhelmed and just plain tired
sometimes. The enemy was right there to
whisper how little worth I am; how many others God can use and will use, as
they are much more educated, talented etc.
Women should not be speaking; that I am reaching no one for Christ and
on and on it went.
The emails did not come all at once, but they did come
in at a fairly steady pace over the course of a week. What triggered it? I have no idea – some people I never heard
from before. Never have I been
challenged in such a way as this.
Perhaps that is why it was allowed, so that weaknesses could be exposed,
as well as any error in my thinking. Did I search my heart? I did, oh how I did – and I began to doubt.
Yes, the enemy very cleverly brought me to a place where
I felt I simply could not bear any more.
I was just recovering from the blow in December and then this came
about. But, the emails came like a slow-dripping faucet. At first, I lost myself in research on a few
subjects (which I do plan to present). I
spent a couple of weeks, dedicating long hours of tedious, intensive research,
sifting through documents, checking and re-checking and all that goes along
with serious research.
However, the day came a couple of weeks ago when I began
to wonder why I was even researching, when so many others had not already done
research on the subjects I was delving into, but had spoken about them. Many were experts in their fields and I was
gleaning from their hard work and knowledge.
Yet, it was my own personal experiences that propelled desire for more
in-depth research, as well as the times we are in.
Then I began to parrot the questions in the emails…’am I in God’s will?’ etc. There was a struggle going on between flesh
and spirit, positive and negative, faith and doubt. Discouragement, even hopelessness came upon
me. It halted from the duties of
ministry.
I remember
reading an article from David Wilkerson some time back. He had written about a time when he hit a
critical slump. He was so concerned
about being a hypocrite that one day his wife had to literally take hold of his
arm and help him out of his chair, so that he could go to preach at the church.
There is a cliché now, which goes: The battlefield is
the mind. Yes, it is true, but the
Lord expounded on it. The Holy Spirit
said, “The battlefield is the mind, but
the target is the heart. For a
believer’s heart holds faith, hope, love and the will.” Satan attacks these areas, for without
faith, it is impossible to please God; hope deferred makes the heart sick; we
are to walk in love and we are to do the will of the Father. The stronger our faith is, the stronger the
attacks.
The LORD is faithful.
He always comes through. In
ministering to another about faith in an email, I mentioned Hebrews 6, which I
call the ‘faith chapter’. After the
email, I sat and read the chapter myself and the Lord, whose Word is Spirit and
Truth ministered to me.
For about a short season, my hope seemed gone, my faith
miniscule – not my faith in the Lord or His goodness, but faith in what He
called me to do. I had even asked Him at
one point if He had made a mistake with me.
What a foolish question. God
makes no mistakes, but I had allowed the seed of doubt to begin to take
root. If it was not snatched up, it
would yield a harvest of unbelief.
The Lord had mercy and rescued me from the pit of
hopelessness and despair, just as He had Joseph, Elijah, David and many of His
people. When we trust in Him, deep
within, He will restore our confidence.
He will not allow the enemy of our souls and the cross to be victorious
over us.
There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of
your calling; [Eph 4:4]
Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope
to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation
of Jesus Christ;
[1Pet 1:13]
Who by Him do believe in God, that raised Him up from
the dead, and gave Him glory; that your faith and hope might be in God. [1Pet 1:21]
No matter what we go through, no matter who says what to
us, no matter what life itself or the enemy throws our way, we can remain
confident and hope in the Lord. He is on
our side. He is for us and not
against.
The Body of Christ need to be united, not as the world
is uniting, but as one in Jesus Christ, doing the will of the Father and
holding fast to our faith, for the glory of God. We all need to pray for each other because we
all need prayer. One day we will leave
these earthen vessels, this temporary home.
On the day of resurrection, or the day Jesus Christ comes in all of His
glory, our tears, sorrows and struggles will be over.
There is much to look forward to. Behold, the Lord is at the door – check your
lamps for oil. The signs of the Lord’s
coming are all around us, as prophecy rapidly unfolds before our very eyes.
And when these things begin to come to pass, then look
up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draws nigh. [Lk 21:28]
Shalom in Christ Jesus/Y’shua
In His love, for His glory
Bonita
Warriors of Endurance (Time of Revealing)
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Before I post brother Wilkerson's letter here, I wanted to post a scripture. To me, the Lord can well speak for Himself. I thank Him from the depths of my inner heart for His goodness and mercy - I am so grateful to Him. Thank You Father! Thank You for the love You have towards those who fear Your name and trust You. It is only to Your glory alone Father, because any good in us is Your doing, precious Creator. Truly Lord, You are the lifter of our heads. Bless You Abba...
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And he said, I will make all My goodness pass before thee, and I will proclaim the name of the LORD before thee; and will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will shew mercy on whom I will shew mercy. [Ex 33:19]
If you notice the date at the top, it is today's date, the day after I sent out my newsletter (above). Only God, amen? Amen!
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 9, 2014
Speak unto us smooth things
by David Wilkerson
[May 19, 1931 – April 27, 2011]
A man recently wrote
the following to our ministry: “I don’t know who put me on your mailing list,
but please remove my name immediately. I can’t stand your gloomy gospel and
your hammering against sin. None of us is perfect, not even you. I’ve had it
with your King James gospel of doom.”
Isaiah spoke of this
kind of response: “This is a rebellious people, lying children, children that
will not hear the law of the Lord: which say to the seers, See not; and to the
prophets, Prophesy not unto us right things, speak unto us smooth things,
prophesy deceits: Get you out of the way” (Isaiah 30:9-11).
The word “smooth” in
this verse means “nice, flattery.” The people of Israel were saying, in short,
“Don't tell us any more bad stuff. Describe how we’re going to prosper, how
great things lie ahead of us. If not, then get out of our faces.”
No believer who hides
sin in his heart ever wants to hear a holy, sin-exposing word. That person will
always flee the Holy Spirit’s voice of truth. And he’ll turn to some preacher
who is soft on sin, offering smooth talk and flattering prophecies.
So, you ask, what hard
message did God’s voice deliver to His people on Mount Sinai? He said simply
this: “I am the Lord thy God, which brought thee out of the land of Egypt, from
the house of bondage. Thou shalt have none other gods before me. Thou shalt not
make thee any graven image. . . . Thou shalt not bow down thyself unto them,
nor serve them” (Deuteronomy 5:6-9).
Here was the pure,
unadulterated word of the Lord, coming directly from His mouth. It should have
sent the people flying to their tents to smash their graven images. It should
have stirred their hearts and brought them to their knees. But instead they
cried, “No more thunder, fire, shaking. No more audible voice speaking to us.
Give us a spokesman who is like us, and let him speak to us. Then we’ll hear
and obey.”
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Thank You Father for godly men and women, and Your timing. Thank You for everything!
for His glory
Bonita dovesofthevalleys4@gmail.com
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