Putting Out The Fire

A man slaughtered a large cow to celebrate his birthday, lit the grill, and said to his son, "Son", call our loved ones and neighbors to eat with us. let us feast!"

His son took to the street and started shouting: "Please help us put out a fire at our house!"

After a few moments, a small group of people came out, and the rest acted like they didn't hear the cry for help. 

Those who came ate and celebrated.

After the feast, the confused father turned to his son and said to him:

"Who were those people who came to celebrate with us? I hardly knew a single one of them. Where were our friends, relatives, and loved ones?"

The son said, "Those who celebrated were the people who quickly responded to my cry for help. I shouted that there was a fire at our house but said nothing about the celebration. So, those who came to help were also surprised that the fire was your barbeque fire. They deserved to enjoy a great feast and new friendship. 

Moral of the story: Not all your friends and relatives are true friends and relatives. 

The Meaning of Sonship

Watchman Nee tells about a new convert who came in deep distress to see him. 

"No matter how much I pray, no matter how hard I try, I simply cannot seem faithful to my Lord. I think I'm losing my salvation." 

Nee said, "Do you see this dog here? He is my dog. He is house-trained; he never makes a mess; he is obedient and a pure delight to me. 

Out in the kitchen, I have a son, a baby son. He makes a mess, throws his food around, fouls his clothes, and is a total mess. 

But who is going to inherit my kingdom? Not my dog; my son is my heir. 

You are Jesus Christ's heir because it is for you that He died." 

We are Christ's heirs, not through our perfection but by means of His grace.

How Should Christians Respond In The End Times?

 

As we look at the cataclysmic situations in the world, most of us would naturally figure them to be the preludes of the End Times. Many are happy that Jesus will be coming back soon but many are afraid of the persecution and suffering that would come before Christ’s return. In fact, some believers are selling their homes in the urban areas and moving to rural areas – remote countryside, forested mountains or even to the deserts. Some are stockpiling food and learning how to grow and preserve foods. Many of these are even buying weapons so that they can protect themselves. 

The question is whether God wants His Church to run and hide when the situation becomes bad or that His Church should stay and continue to minister to the people? We do not need to look far to see what we should do during such cataclysmic time – just look at how the churches not only survive but thrive in the Communist countries around us. For example, back in the 1970s, we as young overseas Chinese Christians, were praying and fasting for China because we thought that the Communists had managed to totally destroy Christianity in China. But, in the 1980s, we received good news that in spite of not having missionaries, the Church of Jesus Christ had survived. 

The Chinese believers went through their own Tribulation for more than thirty years and they did not only survive but thrive. And from a mere one million believers before the Communist’s rule to now over 100 million believers. How did they do it? 

At the beginning of the persecution in 1951, majority of the pastors and elders were arrested and imprisoned. These people were arrested on fabricated charges of crimes and that they were falsely accused as counter-revolutionary activists.

The climax of the persecution came in 1966 with the great proletarian cultural revolution. By that time, organised Christianity had been totally demolished and many of the Christian leaders were arrested and subsequently executed. 

What were left behind were mostly the women and their children who went underground to form the underground churches. It was in these dire circumstances that the Church was purified and cleansed. Those who could not take the persecution left the faith. There were also traitors and betrayers who sold the safety of their brothers and sisters so as to secure safe passage for themselves. 

When I was in China in the late 1980s, I personally listened to testimonies from the persecuted believers about how they survived and thrived in the face of danger and death. They worshipped in the cold forest at three in the dark early morning and some worshipped in secluded caves. They did not seek just to survive but to be able to worship the Lord and also to share the Gospel.

How did they physically survive? There were stories about how the urban Chinese believers who escaped to the rural areas learned from the locals how to survive in the harsh conditions of the countryside. Many of them also learned about God’s natural ways of treating infirmities with herbal and traditional methods. When I was in the military, basic jungle survival method was taught to all recruits but we rarely needed to use it. However, those in Commando training, were put to the test because they were left in an isolated island to survive on their own for a week. I heard that each trainee had only a hunting knife and a small amount of ration. The idea of learning how to grow vegetables or hunt animals is of course useful, if one has to really live in the jungle. These would of course be interesting courses to take even in peacetime.

Back to the Chinese Church that survived the persecution – while I was in one underground church, the Elders asked me to lay hands and pray for a sister who was to take the place of her father in the ministry. Apparently, the father was killed by the Communists while in prison and now his place of eldership in the underground was vacant. She was to take his place and face the danger that her father had faced. There was a particular sadness in my heart because I felt like I was ordaining her to be martyred for Christ.

What should we do in the face of persecution of the End Times?

When we look into the Bible, we should be thankful that the Apostle Peter did address this matter of how to face the End Times. Writing specifically about this matter, Peter revealed what God had shown him - “the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat, [and] both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up.”

He added. “Since all these things will be dissolved, what manner of persons ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be dissolved, being on fire, and the elements will melt with fervent heat?” (2 Peter 3:10-12).

Please note that Peter did not suggest that all Christians should head for the jungles or hills in order to hide from persecution. He did not suggest that believers should be isolated from the ministries that God has assigned the Church to do. Throughout the history of Christianity, the believers who ultimately made an impact for the Kingdom of God were not the ones with the “fortress mentality”. The early disciples were not exactly brave and they were found together praying in the upper room. When the Holy Spirit came upon them there was such a transformation. (Acts 1-2). Were they persecuted after the Holy Spirit came? The fact is that the persecution was intense so much so that believers like Stephen and James were murdered for their faith. Many others were arrested and put in prison. In the midst of the heavy persecution, they continued to preach the Gospel. There was no stockpiling of food or weapons in a fortress. However, the believers did move from one place to another. In the process, they spread the Gospel further and wider to other cities and even countries.

The fortress-mentality is for people who do not see life as being eternal. Sadly, for them, this temporal life is the only one that they treasure and so they have to sustain it at all cost. Basing upon the revelation of Peter, all believers who are going through the End Times can do one thing, apart from worrying about food and drink, and that is to practice holiness and do good to others wherever and whenever we can. Indeed, we are supposed to do the works of the Kingdom of God “while it is day” (John 9:4). The Apostle Paul also received the same revelation from the Lord: “Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all, especially to those who are of the household of faith” (Galatians 6:10).

I hope this clarifies and answers some of your questions about what we should do during the End Times. Thanks for reading.

Pastor Albert Kang

See Life From A Better Perspective

A writer was in his study room. He picked up his pen and started writing:

Last year, I had surgery and my gall bladder was removed. I had to remain in bed for a duration of time due to that surgery.

In the same year, I reached the age of 60 and had to give up my favorite job. I had spent 30 years of my life in this publishing company.

Then during the same year, I experienced the sorrow of the death of my father.

And in the same year, my son failed his medical examination because he had a serious car accident. He had to be hospitalized and subsequently, wore a cast on his legs for months. The car was totally damaged and that was a great loss too.

At the end, he wrote: "Alas! It was such a bad year!"

When the writer's wife entered the room, she found her husband looking sad and lost in his thoughts. From behind his back, she read what was written on the paper. She left the room silently and came back with another paper and placed it by the side of her husband's writing.

The writer read her paper silently.

Last year I finally got rid of my gall bladder due to which I had spent years in pain.

I turned 60 with good health and a sound mind. And I retired from my job and now I can utilize my time to write something that I like to write and with more focus and peace.

The same year, my father, at the age of 95, went to see our Creator. He was healthy throughout and had no need to depend upon anyone to care for him.

During the same year, God had blessed my son with a new life. I am forever thankful that my son survived the car accident with only a broken leg. Though my car was totally damaged, the insurance gave me enough money to put as a deposit for a new car. 

Last year was filled with the immense blessings of God and it was a great year.

The writer stood up and hugged his wife.

"Thank you, my darling, for helping me to see life from a different perspective". 

Without God We Are Nothing

 

When GOD wanted to create fish, HE spoke to the sea.

When GOD wanted to create trees, HE spoke to the earth.

But when GOD wanted to create man, HE turned to Himself.

Then GOD said: "Let us make man in our image and in our likeness".

Note:

If you take a fish out of the water it will die; and when you remove a tree from the soil, it will also die.

Likewise, when man is disconnected from GOD, he dies.

GOD is our natural environment. We were created to live in His presence. We have to be connected to Him because it is only in Him that our life exists.

Let's stay connected to GOD.

We recall that water without fish is still water but fish without water is nothing.

The soil without the tree is still soil but the tree without soil is nothing.

GOD without man is still GOD but man without GOD is also nothing.

A Lesson on Gratefulness

 

A young labourer came to a restaurant one evening to have a meal. The owner engaged him in a conversation and found out that he was saving to bring his family to the city so they could get a chance at a better life. He had an aged mother, a wife and two young sons who he hoped to give a good education so they could have a more decent life. He had just arrived at the city and found some menial work at a scrap metal site down the road. It was going to be his only meal of the day and he could only spend a few cents.

The owner was impressed with his hard work and diligence, and his family values. He encouraged the labourer and wrapped his meal for him. He took his order personally and told him that it would cost him 50 cents.

Several years went by and the labourer stopped at the restaurant every evening to get his one meal of the day and chat with the restaurant owner who always encouraged him and asked about his aged mother, his wife and young sons, and how his plans were going.

Finally, the labourer came by one evening with a happy smile on his face. He had bought a modest house in a good neighbourhood with a good school for his boys and he had just sent for his family to join him. 

The restaurant owner was very happy for him and congratulated him. The labourer then told him that he was in a mood to celebrate and he would be spending an entire 5 dollars on his meal that evening. The restaurant owner told him it was well-deserved, wrapped up his meal and he went on his way home.

When the labourer got home and opened up his meal pack, he was shocked to see that it was the same type of food he had been having every day for the last 6 years. He was very disappointed because he had been looking forward to a feast to celebrate his big achievement. He certainly deserved something better after scrimping on his meals all those years. He was mad at the restaurant owner and felt robbed of his money and his celebration. He felt he had been cheated by his very good friend.

He immediately went back to the restaurant to make his complaint. The restaurant owner had already left and he met one of the staff with whom he was quite familiar.

"Say, John, I think you guys gave me the wrong meal pack today. You see, I got this same type of meal every day for 50 cents but today I am celebrating and decided to spend 5 whole dollars at your restaurant. But I was cheated and got just the same meal as every other day!"

"Well, sir, this is our most expensive meal and it costs 5 dollars!"

It suddenly dawned on the labourer that he had not been cheated at all by his friend. In fact, the restaurant owner had been giving him their best meal which cost 5 dollars for 50 cents and for 6 long years! He felt very ashamed of himself for thinking that his good friend had cheated him.

"It's all a misunderstanding then," he said and turned to leave quickly to hide the tears in his eyes.

"One minute, sir," said the staff. "My boss said you are going to come back and that I am to give you this bag."

When the labourer opened the bag, he found all the 50 cents he had ever spent at this restaurant. Unable to hold back the tear now, he sat down on a bench and wept quite unashamedly.

√ He had judged too quickly.

√ He'd felt entitled and a little prideful because of his sense of arrival.

√ He had repaid kindness with suspicion and anger.

√ He had failed to give proper thanks where it was due.

Why?

Because he was not able to see or recognise the hand that was behind the scene helping him all this time! 

Friends, sometimes because we don't yet have a car, a house and some fine things in life, we fail to recognise and appreciate the simple things that God has blessed us daily. And so we become ungrateful and unappreciative and even to a point of being prejudiced upon. We feel that we are entitled to all these good things and we storm to God and file a complaint. When the Lord allows us to have a little achievement in life, we become all bloated up with pride. And then we start to make more demands from God.

But does God condemn us? Is He mad at us? Does He take back everything because of our foolishness? He does not because He understands how limited we are in our spirit.

Like the owner of the restaurant, God is always giving us His very best. During difficult times, He encourages us. During the time, we stumble and fall, He picks us up. Even when we refuse to acknowledge or appreciate His goodness and kindness, He never stops being gracious and kind to us. We may continue to complain and fret but He is patient to listen. In fact, He keeps His storehouse of blessings open for us and gives us even more than we ever deserve.

At this moment, let us give thanks to the Lord and adopt a heart of gratitude by counting all our blessings.

Damaged Healed By Claiming A Word From the Lord

I was asked by a friend whether God could use certain passages so as to speak to one's life. The answer is "yes". Sometimes, God would drop a personal word for us so as to encourage us. 

For example, one of my friends, Rev William Caldwell, was healed of his heart condition because God told him to claim Ezekiel 36:26 - "I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh."

As we know this verse is not about a new physical heart but a spiritual heart for Israel. 

But for Rev Caldwell, it was to mean that God was to heal his damaged physical heart. 

At that time, he was in his early 50s. His family doctor was so shocked because when he examined Rev Caldwell again and again, he just could believe the reading on his equipment.

 Then finally, the doctor who had been treating him for so many years, said out loud that how could his heart perform that way.  

Why? Because Rev Caldwell's heart was beating like that of a healthy 30-year-old man. 

So, that would be known in the Charismatic circle as the "Rhema Word."