POINTS OF TRUTH CHRISTIAN MINISTRIES

Newsletter

Crusade Church of God

By: Larry R. Lasiter

"Where could Jesus be,?" wondered the disciples. They hung on tightly to the tiny boat as it was being tossed about by a strong wind.

"He should have called to us by now," said one of the men. "He was only going to send the people away and pray. That was many hours ago."

In fact, that was while it was yet day, and now it was after 3 in the morning. "Perhaps we cannot hear Him call,- the waves have pushed us very far from shore," said Nathaniel. "I doubt it," Thomas replied. "I pray the Jews have not arrested Him,"said John, fearfully. Peter said nothing. He just continued to peer through the breaks in the fog, hoping to spot a signal fire from the Lord. Occasionally, he would tilt his ear in hope of hearing a distant call.

Suddenly, there was a terrifying cry of fear,-"I see a ghost!" "There, through the fog!" Immediately panic seized the hearts of the disciples, holding them in its paralyzing grip. Surrounded by a raging sea there was nowhere to run.

Through the fog they could see the ghostly figure moving across the churning waters toward them. Sensing the mental anguish of His disciples Jesus cried,- "Take courage, it is I; do not be afraid." His stunned followers continued to stare, but no longer from fear but in wonder. John said, "It is the Lord!" Thomas spoke up and asked,- "How can we be sure?!"

Then Peter turned back to the sea and called out saying,- "Lord, if it is really You, command me to come to You on the water."Judas Iscariot immediately rebuked Peter saying,- "What are you doing? You will surely drown in these waves!" "Quiet Judas!" said Peter sternly."If it is the Lord He will uphold me,- if not I will begin to sink immediately and you may pull me back into the boat."

Then a familiar voice called out again,-"Come, Peter. Come to Me." Peter felt sure now,- it was the Lord. But Peter had asked the impossible, and now Jesus was inviting him to do the impossible.

God had created the laws of science, including the law of gravity. Surely Peter's own weight would pull him down into the sea. It was one thing to believe that the Lord could walk on water, but another to believe that a mere man could.

Looking down at the angry sea, Peter wondered,- "Should I dare the impossible?" Suddenly a comforting thought began to form in Peter's mind. Something that he had heard the Lord say one day,- "With men, some things are impossible, but with God all things are possible."

What an empowering thought! Peter's faith began to rise up within him and he quickly leaped overboard. Peter found himself standing on the waters but he was not surprised. Quickly and joyfully, he began to walk toward the out-stretched arms of the Lord. Peter thought, "the Lord was right! We can do anything if the Lord is with us."

As Peter came near Jesus he could see an expression on the Lords' face that unmistakenly told him that the Lord was happy that he had overcome his fear, and had acted upon the invitation to walk on water. Then Peter remembered something Jesus had said when He was teaching them about the importance of faith. He had told them,- "Without faith, it is impossible to please God." "God is most pleased, when you step into the realm of impossibility," - "the place where, with man it is impossible, but being assured, that with God all things are possible."

Many thoughts began to race through Peter's mind confirming what Jesus had taught. He began to remember the stories he had heard read each Sabbath in the synagogue. Stories of how ordinary men did extraordinary things when God was with them. When Moses stretched his arms the Red Sea parted. Nebuchadnezzar's fiery furnace could not harm the young Hebrew slaves who were cast into it because the Lord was with them. Faithful Daniel was safe in a den of lions. Young David killed the Philistine giant, Goliath with a single stone. Elijah prayed and shut up the heavens that it should not rain, and also called fire down from heaven. "God has always been faithful," thought Peter "Why should I doubt?"

Suddenly, Satan, the prince of the power of the air, seeing Peter's shield of faith growing large and strong, sent a mighty gust of wind to break his concentration. The wind blew up a wave that slapped hard against Peter's leg. Suddenly, Peter took his eyes off Jesus and looked down. Seeing the angry sea, feeling the power of the wind and hearing Satan whisper -"You are not able!" into his consciousness, Peter began to sink into the deep."Lord, save me!" he cried. Jesus stretched forth His hand and took hold of him saying,"O you of little faith, why did you doubt?" Lack of faith was the problem.

Peter's faith ebbed and flowed that day. When he was strong in faith he could walk on water, but when he wavered he sank. James later wrote,-"... ask in faith without any doubting, for the one who doubts is like the surf of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. For let not that man expect that he will receive anything from the Lord." (James 1:6-7)

Though God's promises to us are "impossible," they can be realized when we act in faith. Faith activates the power of God. Jesus repeatedly said to those who were healed,Your faith has made you well." Those who had received miracles believed that God was not only able, but willing to fill their pressing needs.

Throughout His ministry Jesus continued to challenge the limited thinking of His disciples. He sought to shake them from the contentment of their "comfort zone" by telling them what they could, and indeed would, do.

Near the end of His ministry on earth, Jesus sat down with His followers and began to teach them saying,- "My friends, since you have been with me you have witnessed great and awesome things. You have seen Me give sight to the blind, make the crippled walk and even bring life to the dead." "You have seen Me cast out demons, calm the sea with a word, and fill the stomachs of thousands with only a few fish and a little bread."

"Now I want you to believe that the power that is in Me to work such wonders shall be in you." Indeed, you shall do even greater works!"

"Truly I say to you, if you say to this mountain, "be moved into the sea" it shall happen if you have faith." "Whatever you ask your Heavenly Father in My Name He will do." "That is a promise which cannot be broken, but it is a promise that must be received in faith."

"After I go to the Father you will receive power when the holy spirit falls upon you." "Go to all the world and preach the gospel of salvation to every creature. Those who believe shall be saved." "Baptize them in My Name and teach them all that I taught you."

"Truly I say to you, these signs shall follow those who believe,- they shall cast out demons, speak with new tongues, heal the sick with a touch of their hands and perform many other wondrous miracles, all in My Name." "And I will be with you till the end."

The promises of God are unchangeable.

Jesus once said that though heaven and earth pass away, His Words would never pass away. Notice carefully that Jesus said these "signs" shall follow those who believe. He could have said these "miracles" or "wonders" but He said "signs."

The Greek word translated "signs" here (Mark 16:17) literally means "mark" or "signal." Notice Webster's definition of "mark,"- "a distinguishing sign; indication or evidence."Now notice Webster's definition of "signal",- "a sign to communicate."

Jesus was saying that certain distinguishing signs would follow those who believe which would serve as evidence of who they were. Signals, communicating to the world that God was still performing miracles through His servants. Servants who truly believe. And not really mere servants, but children of the Living God who by faith, dare the impossible.

Sarah and Abraham

"God has certainly blessed us since we left our home in Ur," said Sarai to Abram."Yes, the Lord is faithful and true and has always provided for our needs," Abram replied.

If only God had called us into His blessing before we were too old to have children," lamented Sarai with a sigh.

"Sarai, the Lord promised that our descendants would be as the sand of the seashore in number,- He promised us a son. It is part of the covenant which He has made with us," said Abram confidently."We must believe to receive."

"But how can I believe when my body is producing no seed?!," said Sarai. She continued,-"It has been near 25 years since the promise; I am now almost 90 years old. If only the Lord would accept Ishmael."

Abram replied,- "Be faithful Sarai, for the Lord says He cannot lie. You must believe to receive. Perhaps the Lord is waiting on you."

Sarai received the Word that she would be blessed with a son when she was 65 years of age. She was now almost 90 years old and still without child. She began to think about all the words of faith which her husband had been speaking to her.

She looked back over the past 24 years since God had called them and saw that every provision needed was always faithfully provided. Sarai's faith began to grow. She determined in her soul that the Word of God was true, and indeed, could not be broken.

She began to ignore the impossibility of her body producing a child and began to fix her eyes and her hope upon the God of impossibilities. In her heart she proclaimed the devil a liar and took hold of the sure promise of the Almighty.

She remembered what Abram had told her,- "You must believe to receive."Finally "Sarai" believed and became "Sarah." "Sarai" means "Jah, or God is Prince", "Sarah" means "Princess." She entered into royalty the moment she believed. And finally, she conceived Isaac.

Her decision to believe is eternally recorded in the Bible,- "By faith even Sarah herself received ability to conceive, even beyond the proper time of life, since she considered Him faithful who had promised." (Hebrews 11:11)The promise of God was activated by faith. When Sarah began to "act to see the fact," her hope turned into reality.

Jesus said that the Word of God is as a seed sown which must be received in fertile soil to grow.(Matthew 13:23) In Sarah's case, the seed was there when God gave the promise. She was 65 years old, but it took her 25 years to plant the seed in her heart by faith. When she finally did, the promise was immediately activated and she conceived a son. Finally, Sarah had stepped into the realm of impossibility and dared the impossible. She learned that impossibility cannot stand in the presence of God.

A Personal Testimony

On August 17^th; a Sabbath, we received word that one of our member's was at the hospital with their 18 year old daughter. She was experiencing excruciating pain in her lower abdomen which the physicians believed to be an inflamed appendix. To make matters worse, she was 7 months pregnant. To make matters much worse, this young woman's parents had been saved only three years earlier and she had rebelled and left home.

She had told me and her parents that she wanted to "serve the devil." She had been taking illegal drugs, practicing immorality and had set her course to self-destruction. In all of this she knew that we loved her and were continually in spiritual warfare for her, offering prayers of intercession daily.

After Sabbath services, several members of the church and I went to the hospital. In the room, we stood around her bed as she suffered. Her mother turned to me and said,- "We can pray for her."I replied, "If she wants prayer." The mother then asked her daughter,- Do you want us to pray for you?"The girl indifferently replied,- "If you want to."

I knew that Satan had a stranglehold on this girl. And I also knew that she had invited the powers of darkness into her life,- she must now invite the power of God into her life by requesting a prayer for healing. I said to her,- "We already pray for you everyday. But if you want prayer for anointing you must ask for it." She stubbornly refused, rejecting God's involvement.

Soon afterward a surgeon and a nurse entered the room and asked that we wait in the hallway for a few minutes. The surgeon told this young woman that there was a small chance that she may die during surgery, and a 15% chance that the baby would not survive.

The news devastated the family. While the family tried to comfort her the rest of us went to the waiting room. Minutes later her father came and said that she was asking for me. I went, hoping she would open her heart to receive a Word from the Lord. I stood at her bedside waiting for the invitation to ask for God's involvement.

She had great difficulty, truly a struggle was taking place within her. Part of her desperately wanted to ask for prayer, but the spiritual powers of darkness were doing their best to stop her. Her face began to distort as she began to sob, but finally said,- "Brother Larry would you please pray for me?"

As I laid hands upon her head I could feel the demons shudder as the power of God surged like electricity. I knew that God had healed her of an inflamed appendix, but more importantly had implanted Words into her being that would stay, and continually trouble the devil's plan. She also knew that she had been healed but did not say so at the time because she still did not want to totally change her lifestyle. She wanted only enough God to get out of this situation. This was an important moment. One who sows much reaps much and one who sows little reaps little. It seemed that she wanted to sow, but only a little, which meant that God would deliver accordingly.

The door opened and another physician entered. He said the first surgeon was wrong in saying that she and her baby may die. He said,- "The worst thing that could happen is that you may give birth prematurely, but the baby should be fine."

He then noticed that she was no longer vomiting, in pain or running a fever. He checked the readings on her monitor and saw they were normal. He said,- "Though the ultra-sound showed an inflamed appendix, I am tempted to wait until morning since everything seems normal."

He asked me to step out of the room while he examined her again to determine whether to cancel the surgery or not. Moments later he quickly exited the room and said, "It is definitely appendicitis, we must get her in surgery!"

Seeing this, I knew that there were still demonic strongholds exercising their powers, so I went back to the waiting room and told the brethren to begin praying fervently. I knew that she had been healed, but I also knew that she was holding back in professing it, and giving God the glory for it.

There in that public waiting room members of the Church of God Fellowship got on their knees and began offering powerful prayers to the Living God. We prayed for well over an hour. During this time I could hear the waiting room door open and close from time to time, but we did not care for we were lost in prayer.

The physicians performed the surgery and removed a perfectly healthy appendix. The inflamation they had seen on the ultra-sound was no longer there, which of course was "impossible."

But by asking for prayer, this girl had dared the impossible and found that with God nothing is impossible. She later admitted that she knew immediately that she had been healed.

Had she given God the glory at first she would not have experienced this unneeded surgery. I am convinced that the physician would have cancelled it. In prayers offered in faith, the brethren also dared the impossible and prevailed.

God has promised that those who believe would be clothed with power from Heaven.

That signs and wonders would follow them as they walk their walk of faith.

We must only believe to receive, and act to see the fact. God's promises are never "yes", "no" and "maybe," but only "yes."

Notice,- "But as God is faithful, our word to you is not yes and no, for the Son of God, Christ Jesus, who was preached among you by us. . .was not yes and no, but is yes in Him. For as many as may be the promises of God, in Him they are YES." (2 Corinthians 1:18-20)

Brethren, you need not settle for a spiritually powerless Christianity. The gifts and the calling are yours. Jesus said that His followers would be "clothed with power."

We need only to believe to receive. It is our faith that activates the power of God which dwells within us.

Will you please God by stepping into the realm of impossibility?

Will you dare the impossible?

Pastor's Study

Genesis Chapter 6

There has been much speculation about the meaning of this passage in Genesis Chapter 6.Some teach that fallen angels took on the form of flesh and had sexual relations with women producing a race of giants called the Nephilim. The proponents of this view state oral tradition and the advent of mythology to support the teaching. In this brief article I will use only the text of this passage itself, and will be quoting from the New American Standard Version which is considered the most literal translation in print.

Verses 1 & 2, "Now it came about, when men began to multiply on the face of the land, and daughters were born to them, that the sons of God saw that the daughters of men were beautiful; and they took wives for themselves, whomever they chose."

Commentary: We find there that the "sons of God" took wives from the "daughters of men." The important question here is, who are the "sons of God?" Are they demons, fallen angels taking the form of flesh? Would God call evil, fallen spirits "sons of God?" Some say that Satan was one of the "sons of God" referred to in Job 1:6. But the passage says that when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord that Satan "also came among them." Satan came "among them"- "them" referring to the "sons of God." This is not saying that Satan is a son of God but that he appeared "among" the sons of God like a tare might appear among the wheat.

Like faithful men, angels are sometimes called sons of God in Scripture as we see in Job 38:7 but it is not angels being referred to in Verse 2. Notice also that these sons of God "chose" for "themselves" certain "daughters of men."

Verse 3, "Then the Lord said, "My spirit shall not strive with man forever, because he also is flesh; nevertheless his days shall be one hundred and twenty years."

Commentary: We see here that because the "sons of God" took for themselves the "daughters of men" God limited man's days to 120 years and said "My spirit shall not strive with man forever." Men had lived to be much older prior to this judgment, notice also, the judgment had to do with God's spirit abiding in man. In the previous chapter we find that Methuselah lived to be 969 years old. We must ask the question, "if the sons of God were fallen angels, why was the judgment against "man?"

Romans 8 tells us twice that only those who possess the indwelling of the holy spirit are the "sons of God." Although the holy spirit was poured out on Pentecost in 31AD, there have always been faithful men and women whom God had given His spirit to.

In Psalm 51we find King David praying that God would not take His holy spirit from him. Jesus called Abel righteous. (Matthew 23:35) In Genesis 5 we find that Enoch "walked with God" and God took him. Notice also the time line of the great cloud of witnesses so eloquently spoken of in Hebrews 11, almost all lived prior to the coming of Christ.

Jesus told His disciples "Blessed are those who have not seen yet have believed." I believe He was referring to the faithful who lived before He came as the Savior. These Faithful servants could not look back to Calvary as we can, but had to look forward to the cross and believe that God would someday redeem them from their sins.

Let us consider for a moment that the "sons of God" in Genesis 6:2 were faithful men whom God had given the holy spirit to. Men who were not only born of men but born again of God,- marrying worldly women born only of men. Now let's see how the passage begins to shape up.

The Hebrew word translated as "strive" here literally means "rule in." Some ancient versions read "abide in" or "in his going astray he is flesh." The word "nevertheless" in verse 3 can mean "therefore" in Hebrew as well.

Putting this together let me paraphrase,- When the faithful sons of God,- righteous men possessing the holy spirit, saw that the women of the world were beautiful, they lusted after them, taking them as their wives, thus becoming "unequally yoked" together with unbelievers. (1 Corinthians 7)

They "chose" for "themselves" rather than letting God provide for them. In this they were quenching the spirit within them, which is why God said "My spirit shall not "strive", "rule in" or "abide in" man forever, for "in his going astray he is flesh," therefore I will limit his years on earth to 120. Notice that God is saying that His spirit could not stay in those who lusted after the flesh. This means that there were men who had the holy spirit abiding in them but fell away when they set their eyes and hearts on the flesh, in this case, women who were not born of the spirit.

Verse 4 - 6, "The Nephilim were on the earth in those days, . . ., when the sons of God came into the daughters of men, and they bore children to them. Those were the mighty men who were of old, men of renown. Then the Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great on the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. And the Lord was sorry that He had made man on the earth, and He was grieved in His heart."

Commentary: "Nephilim" here is certainly the "mighty men,"- "men of renown." The Nephilim were a result of the unholy union of the sons of God with the daughters of men. Nephilim is taken from "Napal" meaning "to fall." But who are these who fell? Was it angels who had become demons at Lucifer's rebellion, or was it faithful men who fell away from God by going after fleshly desires?

Notice that God said that He "saw that the wickedness of man was great." That "every intent" of man's heart was evil. And that God was even sorry that He had made man.

Again, it is man whom God holds to blame. And it was to men that God's judgment was pronounced against. The same men who were once called the "sons of God."

"You Keep Sabbath - We keep Sunday?"

By: Larry R. Lasiter

In October and November of 2001 I had the privilege of holding crusades in Africa for five weeks. During that time I met with many evangelists and pastors. Most of these men were Sabbath keepers, but not all.

On two occasions I met and had Bible studies with a man named Robert who pastors a Disciples of Christ Church which assembles weekly on Sunday.

One day Robert and I were experiencing sweet Christian fellowship, talking and delighting in the Lord Jesus and God's great plan of salvation. Obviously, we were very much like-minded. I think Robert was quite pleasantly surprised to have such fellowship with a Sabbath minister because most of them he knew felt more comfortable discussing the law than the gospel.

Suddenly, Robert declared, "You keep Sabbath, and we keep Sunday." I believe he felt compelled to make this statement because he could find no appreciative differences between us other than the day in which we worshiped.

I turned to my new friend and said, "Robert I'm sorry, but that is not really correct. We do keep the Sabbath, but you and your congregation do not keep any day."

I then told him that when I had walked to the outdoor market on Sunday morning I found only a few stands open for business. Then at about 1 p.m. I began to see many people walking from their churches, coming to open their stands for business.

So I said, - "Most of the people that I know who attend a Sunday church do not keep any day holy to the Lord. They merely attend morning services and then do whatever secular activities they want the rest of the day."

I then asked brother Robert if members of his congregation practiced what I had seen at the market. He put his head down onto a table top and said disappointedly,- "yes."

I then told him that Sabbath keeping is more than a day to attend worship services. And that the fourth Commandment stated not only to "Remember" the Sabbath, but to also "Keep it holy." That it is a 24 hour period of time that the Lord made for man to leave his secular works,- man needs this rest. I explained that the Sabbath is a divinely appointed time, sanctified and set apart by God for the holy use of assembly, fellowship, prayer, study and various acts of doing good to others.

And I told him how grateful I was that my Heavenly Father loves me so much that He has given me a weekly appointment to meet with Him.

I then said, - "Brother, God is always available for His children, but isn't it a meaningful thing that He made one whole 24 hour day "holy" and "sanctified" just for He and us? God promises to be there when the saints assemble."

On the Sabbath, you don't have to invite Him, for His presence is already there, and it is He who is inviting you to join Him.

I then said,- "Brother, I believe the sad truth is,- most Christians don't want to spend an entire day devoted to spiritual things. That is too long for them. After attending morning services they feel their "obligation" to God is fulfilled, so they are free to do the secular things which their hearts were already set on.

That is why so many will not accept Sabbath observance. They don't see the value of having time for the spiritual things of God because their hearts and minds are on the natural things of this world. They see Sabbath observance as a curse and a burden rather than a blessing and a delight."

I reminded this dear brother that Sabbath observance was not a "Jewish" thing, but was given to "mankind" at the end of creation week. Man went astray from God and this blessing, but when the Lord revealed Himself to the children of Israel, bringing them out of bondage in Egypt, He gave them this gift again, and did so even before the command to keep it was thundered from Mt. Sinai.

I reminded him of Jesus' Olivet prophecy (Matthew 24) where the Lord is instructing end-time Christians to pray that their time of escape from the Anti-Christ would not fall on the Sabbath day. I then asked,- "If the Sabbath was now like any other day, then why would Jesus counsel us to pray that our time of flight not be on the Sabbath?" Jesus was making a clear difference between the Sabbath day and the other days of the week, -a follower of Christ must ask "Why?"

Robert came to visit me once more while I was in Nakuru, Kenya. His home and church was perhaps 150 miles or so away, and he had to take public transportation on rough roads to come.

During his second visit he wanted to look closer at what the Scriptures said about Sabbath keeping. We carefully went through many Bible passages but I believe the last one made the greatest impression on Robert.

It was Isaiah chapter 66, verses 22 and 23 which says,- "For just as the new heavens and the new earth which I make will endure before Me" declares the Lord, "So your offspring and your name will endure. And it shall be from new moon to new moon and from Sabbath to Sabbath, all mankind will come to bow down before Me," says the Lord."

As a Bible student, Robert knew that this chapter of Isaiah was primarily about the Lord's return in glory and the things which will take place thereafter. The words that said "And from Sabbath to Sabbath, ALL MANKIND will come to bow down before Me" seemed to literally jump off the page to him. He began to realize that not only had the Lord preserved the Sabbath day until now, but will give it back to "all mankind" at the Lord's return.

After our Sabbath study we talked about many things, which as Christians we held so dear. I did not seek to force the fourth Commandment upon Robert. I viewed him as a dear brother in the Lord whether he came to the same understanding on this subject or not. I just knew how much a blessing the weekly Sabbath had been to me and my family for almost 30 years, and I wanted him to experience the same joy of entering into the weekly rest of the Lord.

Some time later I received word from Pastor Joseph Kimani that Pastor Robert had told his congregation that he was convicted to observe the Sabbath day. After explaining this doctrine to the church over a few weeks, the Disciples of Christ began to hold services on the Sabbath and the congregation began to experience the joy of having a full 24 hour time period devoted fully to the spiritual things of the Lord.

After holding 34 crusades in 34 days my daughters Sarah, 23, and Jennifer, 21 and I returned home to America. Soon I received a letter from Robert saying how much a blessing they have found Sabbath observance to be. He also told me that he had visited a church in Uganda and shared the Sabbath blessing with them. After much study and testimony this congregation also eagerly embraced this gift and entered into the Lord's weekly rest.

These brethren in Uganda, like Robert and like me, discovered the value of truly "keeping" a full day holy. And not just any day, but the one which the Lord has sanctified and made holy. This is one of God's gifts to you, if you will only receive it with gladness.

Our Father's Business

By: Michael R. Lasiter

My father founded an Advertising business 25 years ago. He began teaching me the business when I was in my mid-teens. In October and November 2001, he went to Africa to hold crusades for five weeks. And when he did, he left the family business in my hands and said "Take care of the business, do a good job and I will be proud of you when I return." I did, and he was.

"What was from the beginning, what we have heard, what we have seen with our eyes, what we beheld and our hands handled, concerning the Word of Life-and the life was manifested, and we have seen and bear witness and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was manifested to us- what we have seen and heard we proclaim to you also, that you also may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father, and with His Son Jesus Christ. And these things we write, so that our joy may be made complete." (1 John 1:1-4)

It is impossible to convince a Christian with an experience that Jesus isn't real. You can't convince someone that He isn't real if they have actually seen Him, heard His voice or felt His presence. I have seen, and now bear testimony to what I have seen. It is impossible for someone to convince me that my Savior isn't real. I've walked and talked with Him, I've seen the difference in my life, and in the lives of my family. That in itself should be a powerful witness to those who not yet believe.

I can tell them about God on a personal level because He and I are on a personal level. I've seen miracles take place, lives changed instantly, the impossible is common with the children of the King. The world may see and wonder but to me it is only daily life in Christ. When the world sees Jesus in us, changes take place. To many in the world, radical faith in Christ can be extremely offensive. Jesus knew this would be and said "blessed is he that is not offended in me."

People can't always understand why we do the things we do,- why we believe what we believe. But the Bible says that the natural mind cannot understand the things of God. But they do know there is something missing in their own lives. Without Jesus they are without hope and are empty. Deep down they know it. That's why our society has a "ME" mentality. Everyone is searching for something, for meaning. Then they fill their lives with everything the world offers, but find that it's never enough.

Radical Christians have to understand the need that people have for Christ. God has sent us to the lost, with a ministry of reconciliation. The Good News that they have a Father who is waiting for them, who may have had His Hand on their lives for many years. Shouldn't we want the unsaved to have what we have? Shouldn't we want to share what we have been given.

Freely we have received, freely we must give. We have the answers they need,- the Truth about God. The answers to why they were even born. The very meaning of life. The formula for true contentment and happiness. Everyone wants to be happy but they don't know how to find happiness. True believers are filled with joy.

The enemy certainly doesn't want this. He would love to see us remain silent while these people are miserable today,- on the road to destruction tomorrow. For me personally, it's impossible. A true Jesus Freak has the compassionate heart of Jesus, and will try to snatch as many from the fire as he can. God wishes for none to perish, but that all would come to Life. He sent His Son to be crucified for those lost in sin.

It's time for us to truly get real about our faith and take it to an even higher level. If we are offensive, so was Jesus, -we are not necessarily here to make friends,- but save lives. Where would we be had God not moved someone to say or do something that touched our hearts at the right time, which ultimately turned us to Christ?

We are God's light in a dark world, we must compel others to seek God while He may be found. "The one who says he is in the light and yet hates his brother is in the darkness until now. The one who loves his brother abides in the light and there is no cause for stumbling in him." (1 John 2:9-10)

I don't want anyone to come to me in the Kingdom of Heaven and ask me why I held back and didn't give what I had. I want to make sure I served them as much as I could in His name, standing boldly for Him. Our calling is clear, Jesus said it is not the healthy who need a physician, but the sick. We are sent to fight for the Lord's heritage. We are given a spiritual sword and spiritual body armor for a reason. A city on a hill cannot be hidden, let's let Jesus shine through us, so whatever we do, it makes them think of Him.

"But sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you." (1 Peter 3:15) Let us do the Work of the Lord. After all, He has entrusted us with the Family Business and wants to say "Well Done."

True Riches

By: Donald Turner

The American Dream. A wonderful family, a two-story home in the suburbs, and of course a sport utility vehicle and sports car. And lets not forget the exalted career that makes it all possible. Is this not what every American dreams of having? This is a lifestyle that consumes almost everyone, and the consequences have been devastating. The worst thing of all is where this puts God. The majority of Americans have put God out of their lives altogether or have convinced themselves that this "pursuit of riches" lifestyle is acceptable to God.

In the pursuit of riches and goals of our physical lives we have put God out and replaced him with our own selfish desires, and in the process brought about curses, unhappiness and eventually,-death. Notice what Jesus said about the pursuit of riches in Matthew 6:19-21, "Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust does corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal. But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust does corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal; For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also."

Remember the story of the rich young ruler who wanted to know what he could do to be perfect in the sight of God? Jesus told him to sell his possessions and give to the poor. He then went away sorrowful because he had much wealth and his heart was set upon his treasures. If our heart is set upon the things of the world, in the end we will have rejected God. These things are passing away and if you are not careful, you will find that you will pass away right along with them. God has clearly given us a choice and asks us to choose life and His blessings. Many have spent too much time focusing on this physical life which is passing away, and in the process have destroyed their families.. The majority of Americans are now so far in debt that they will never get out. Isn't it because they have been consumed with this lifestyle? Children have not been raised in the family, been taught godly morals, and as a result they have turned to drugs, sex and violence. Look at the way our schools have become since students can no longer pray or study their Bibles. When God is removed from an area of our lives Satan will move into the empty space.

Solomon writes in Ecclesiastes that the things of the world are vanity,- notice Chapter 2 verses 4-11,- " I enlarged my works: I built my houses for myself, I planted vineyards for myself; I made gardens and parks for myself, and I planted in them all kinds of fruit trees; I made ponds of water for myself from which to irrigate a forest of growing trees. I bought male and female slaves, and I had home born slaves. Also I possessed flocks and herds larger than all who preceded me in Jerusalem. Also, I collected for myself silver and gold, and the treasure of kings and provinces. I provided for myself male and female singers and the pleasures of men, many concubines. Then I became great and increased more than all who preceded me in Jerusalem. My wisdom also stood by me. And all that my eyes desired I did not refuse them. I did not withhold my heart from any pleasure, for my heart was pleased because of all my labor and this was my reward for all my labor. Thus I considered all my activities which my hands had done and the labor which I exerted, and behold all was vanity and striving after wind and there was no profit under the sun."

What remarkable statements made by this wealthiest of kings. He realized that nothing the world had to offer was as important as serving God. Ecclesiastes 5:10 tells us,- "He who loves money will not be satisfied with money, nor he who loves abundance with its income. This too is vanity."

The Word of God clearly teaches against focusing too much attention on seeking to satisfy the flesh. I enjoy living in the United States and I work so that I may have a nice life, but like the Apostle Paul, I will be content with little or with much. I realize that all blessings are from God, but I know His most earnest desire is to bless us spiritually. He wants us to focus first on seeking Him in all things.

Stop and take a look at the tremendous price many pay to satisfy the flesh, I hope you will realize that worldly riches is not worth the price so many pay. Those who worship God in obedience, spirit and truth find that all aspects of their lives are fulfilled,- they have found true contentment.

How many of the wealthy ever find true happiness in their wealth? Don't we see so many end up with broken families and destroyed lives?

2000 years ago Jesus left the riches of Heaven to dwell on earth. During His ministry He had no home of His own, nor possessed worldly riches. Worldly riches could hardly tempt a man who had tasted Heavenly riches. After the Apostle Paul was given a glimpse of Heaven he very much wanted to depart this life, he had seen the true riches which would never rust or corrode away. O, that we might get a glimpse of the eternal riches of Heaven. Let us pull our eyes off of the world and look up. It is the only place we may see true riches prepared for those who love and obey the Lord.

News, Letters, Odds n Ends

Dear Larry

Thank you for your swift and detailed response.(a previous letter)I now understand why some Christians observe Shabbat.Your reasons are sound but as a Jew I ask,-wouldn't you agree that Jews have an obligation because of the direct command of G-d to do so,whereas Christians do it because they want to emulate the teachings of Jesus. My theory. Perhaps you would be kind enough to tell me briefly how you personally follow Shabbat in a practical sense.For example in Exodus 35:3 G-d commands"You shall not kindle fire in any of your dwellings on the Sabbath day."
As you can see G-d is short on detail as how to follow this commandment. If you were to observe this law literally it means we would in winter,sit in the cold eating cold food which obviously takes away from the spirit of the day.So my question is how do Christians interpret this law and where would you derive your answers. Cheers, Gerald

Dear Gerald,

Warm Greetings , good to hear from you again. I was once asked this question by Sabbatarian Christians living in the Ukraine where it gets quite cold in the winter. To interpret Exodus 35:3 to mean one could not kindle a fire on the Sabbath for any reason would not only present a difficulty for Christians living in the more primitive past, but also for devout Israelites striving to be obedient to God's Word.

According to Jewish sources, this meant kindling a fire for purposes other than for heat and light. It could also conceivably mean not kindling a new fire from scratch, instead of adding wood to existing coals still hot from the previous day.
There are people who say that God's commandments cannot be kept and site such Scriptures as Exodus 35:3. (Some in the Ukraine did) Many of the Christian protestant denominations offer this reasoning. Of course this would mean that God gave commandments that He knew could not be obeyed. Yet, profaning Sabbath observance was one of the main transgressions given for Israel being given into the hand of the Assyrians in 721 bce and Judah to the Babylonians in 586 bce. God warned them through His prophets to return to observing the Sabbath to avoid the punishment of defeat and captivity. A just God would not punish a people for breaking a commandment they could not keep.

You should know that after 70 years of captivity to Babylon and then the Medes and the Persians, Judah was allowed to start rebuilding the Temple in Jerusalem under the direction of Ezra, Nehemiah, Joshua and Zerubbabel. It was during this time period that very careful consideration was given concerning the breaking of commandments which had led to their captivity. It was during this time period that 65 specific do's and don't's were taught about Sabbath observance. And it was at this time that the name of God was no longer pronounced because of two passages in Leviticus 25. The wording of these passages can be used to convey two meanings , (1) pronouncing distinctly God's name (2) blaspheming God's name. So when Ezra developed the Hebrew square alphabet, to be safe he inserted the vow points of adonia under the given name of God, YHWH or YHVH. So when the books were read "adonia" meaning "Lord" was read instead of pronouncing distinctly the name of God.

My point here is that it is very common for sincere people to swing from one extreme to the other. I have found myself doing this many times. Isaiah 58 instructs us to not do our own pleasure on the Sabbath. But the Sabbath was created for our rest and that we might find pleasure in the Lord. It is a blessed day.

As a Christian I accept the teachings of Jesus on the subject. He reminded them that the Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath, and that it was right to do good on the Sabbath. Not all Christians observe it alike. Personally, I and my family and congregation do not do any secular activities nor secular work. We have a praise and prayer service Friday evening and all day services on the Sabbath. If I were driving and saw that someone was truly in need such as car trouble or an emergency I would stop and help, because love, which is "outgoing concern" is the fulfillment of the law. I do not watch TV except to briefly check the news, although watching a program or video which would be Biblically educational or spiritually enlightening would be fine if there was time. We use the Sabbath as a time to reflect upon God, His divine character and His Word, as well as good fellowship with likeminded brethren. A holy time which we may free our minds from the world we live in and worship the Lord.

According to the apostolic gospel writings, the Jewish religious rulers of Jesus' day accused His disciples of breaking the Sabbath when they picked some grains and ate as they walked through the fields. This was the equivalent of taking an apple or a fig off a tree, it was not servile work,nor was it beginning to harvest. Jesus taught that such interpretations of Sabbath observance was not consistent with the meaning of the day and said that they had made it a burden for the people instead of a joy. Your Friend in the Lord's Service, Larry

Dear pastor Larry and sister Treon,

This is sister Grace Moses. I thank the Lord for this opportunity he has given me to write to you. Thank you for the love you have for us. We were very happy to be with you at our home in Africa. God bless you and special thanks to pastor Larry for the marriage counseling. Since then I have seen the hand of the Lord in our lives.

Sister Treon and your sons, we are missing to see you, we love you too. We are still serving the Lord although our life in Kenya is tough. God bless you and do not forget that you are the best we have in America. Please pass our greetings to the churches.

Grace Moses, Kenya, E. Africa

To Pastor Larry,

I greet you and your family in the wonderful Name of our Savior Jesus Christ. We are joyful to receive your letter and greetings you sent to us. I am thankful for the pictures you have sent to us.

To me I give thanks to our God, He has blessed my soul. I see Him in many ways. My husband sends greetings to you and your family. He is thankful for your visit to our home during your work in Africa. I thank the Lord for the prayer that you prayed for his healing for he recovered.

To Mama Sarah, (Treon)I received the greeting and letter you sent to me. It is a great love you have sent. Send my greetings to Mamason, the church. Please tell the women I love them.

To Baba Sarah (Larry) I have great thanks for you and your daughters Sarah and Jen, for the love you showed to my husband. Stay firm in the faith for the Lord is at hand. He will reward the good servants upon His return.

Yours in Christ, Josephine, Nakuru, Kenya

Dear Baba Mkubwa, ("Big Daddy"- my African nickname)

The church in Naivasha received the package of literature and gifts. Emma, Grace and little Martin thank the church for the toys. Thanks for the money to purchase the bicycle, it will help me spread the gospel. Special thanks to George White for his great offering to help us buy it. Please pass our love and blessings to him. Tell him that God will bless him for caring for us. Really it touched us because he does not know us but came to our need. We miss you and the girls and long to see you again. We need you to send some Sabbath tracts. The church sends their love and greetings.

Pastor Duncan, Naivasha, Kenya

Dear Pastor Larry,

We are happy you arrived back in America safely. We thank God for your visit and labors in Nyahururu. We received the package you sent to us. Bless you for the tracts and literature to help us evangelize the gospel of Jesus Christ. My family and church thank you and your church for the wonderful gifts you sent. The little ones are so happy to have toys. God has shown me in the spirit that He is well pleased and is going to bless your church mightily in the things of the spirit. I was disappointed to know that you will not hold more crusades in Africa until 2003, but understand that the cost is great. We are always praying for you and we love you.

Pastor Ben Masita, Nyahururu, Kenya

To All the Blessed and Beloved Children of God in Africa, We Love You too!

We will not forget you or your needs.

Email: lasiter@pointsoftruth.com