Author: Merlin Erb

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How to Talk WITH God, & Not TO God / Pray Effectively.

By Illustrated Theology

Have you ever felt that prayer makes no difference at all?

merlin: Again, as prior if technology works, you may either read the script, or scroll down for the YouTube version at the bottom. Your choice. As always, your comments are appreciated, and everything posted, is first & foremost, to myself, so don’t cob an attitude as time is short and THE night is coming!

I need to be honest even though I’ve been a Christian practically my whole life, it was only recently that I began to feel a true desire to pray intensely. For a long time, I lived without understanding the real power of prayer. I believe that what determined the course of events were our choices. And that free will was at the center of my worldview.

And that weakened my prayer life. I prayed little for conversions because I believe that this decision was individual, something that depended only on the person. My prayer would have no power to convince anyone. At most, my words could. I prayed little for deliverance for my sins because I thought that abandoning them was only a matter of willpower. And in general, I prayed little for anything because deep down I believe that God was not going to keep interfering in the world since he himself had given us free will.

Later when I entered a Calvinist seminary, my view changed radically. I began to believe in the absolute sovereignty of God who rules over everything and everyone. But then another problem came. If God is already determined everything, why should I pray? My mind would say, “It makes no difference. After all, those predestined from eternity will be saved regardless of my prayers. God is sovereign and everything bad that will happen or cease to happen in my life is already determined by His plan and all I have to do is accept it.”

And again, I kept drifting away from prayer. Maybe you can relate to what happened to me. If you lean too far to one side, only free will, or to the other, only absolute sovereignty, prayer life can equally become an empty ritual, cold, lifeless.

As a pastor, I’ve counseled many people who feel guilty for not having motivation to pray. In our conversations, I quickly realized that one of the biggest reasons for this is the lack of faith that prayer really makes a difference in their problems. The result, prayer becomes dry, lifeless, done only out of habit. Many times, it also becomes repetitive. We repeat the same words like a scratched record, without reflecting on what we are saying.

And finally, prayer comes to be seen as a tiresome obligation lived out like a boring task, instead of a privilege. Because of these problems that I and many other Christians have faced, in the next few minutes, I will show you in the light of God’s Word that prayer is indeed extremely important and powerful in its effects. So, stay with me until the end of this video so that your way of seeing the importance of prayer, will never be the same again.

Exodus 33:11 states, “And the Lord spoke unto Moses face to face as a man speaketh unto his friend.” Notice that Moses did not speak to God. He spoke with God. It was a real conversation, open, full of sincerity. At one point, he poured out his heart about the burden of leading Israel and God responded with a promise. “My presence shall go with thee and I will give thee, rest.” Moses then went further and said, “I beseech thee, show me thy glory,” and God answered, “I will make all my goodness pass before thee.

See, this was not a cold distant conversation. It was friendship. It was closeness. There was an exchange of thoughts and then comes that shocking moment in the episode of the golden calf. The people made an idol and God announced that He would destroy Israel and start all over again with Moses. Imagine that! He could have become the new Abraham, but instead of accepting, Moses interceded.

He reminded God of his character, of his promises, and even said, “Why doth thy wrath wax hot against thy people whom thou hast brought forth out of the land of Egypt with great power and with a mighty hand?” And then we read something astonishing! “And the Lord repented of the evil which he thought to do unto his people.”

Here it’s important to explain that the Bible is not saying God is unstable. What the text shows, is that he chose, to relate, to listen, to give room for intercession. He wanted to involve Moses in what was happening. The destruction that was about to take place did not happen because of Moses’ intercession.

Another similar episode happens with Abraham interceding for Sodom. God reveals that He will destroy the city because of its wickedness, but Abraham full of courage, begins a sort of negotiation. He asks, “Wilt thou also destroy the righteous with the wicked? Per venture there are 50 righteous within the city, wilt thou also destroy and not spare the place for the 50 righteous that are therein,” and God answers, “If I find in Sodom 50 righteous within the city, then I will spare all the place for their sake.” Abraham does not stop there. He keeps reducing the number 45, 40, 30, 20 until he reaches ten. And each time God confirms, “I will not destroy it, down to “for ten sake.”

This scene is powerful because it shows that God opens himself to dialog. He does not rebuke Abraham for daring, but involves him in his plan. Once again, we see that prayer is not an empty monologue. It is the Creator allowing a human being to take part in his actions in the world.

These two examples, although very interesting, raise two questions in our minds. First, God does not talk to us in this way today. In many moments, prayer feels more like talking to ourselves. Second, we are not on the same level as these supermen of God in the Bible. All this is true but it is important to say that even though we no longer have this possibility of conversing with God as with a friend, face to face, we still have the incredible privilege of perceiving that He answers us through His Providence. He organizes events in creation all the time so that His will is fulfilled and more.

In Christ, we receive something even greater, in whom we have boldness and access, with confidence by the faith of Him. In other words, we do not need to be spiritual giants to talk with God. Any Christian sustained by faith can draw near to Him, freely open their heart, and be certain that he is being heard.

And this is where everything changes. From the examples of Moses and Abraham and many other men in the Bible, we realize that prayer is not about pushing buttons on a divine machine expecting automatic answers. Prayer is real conversation with the living God. Sometimes He says yes, sometimes no, sometimes wait, but he always responds as a friend who is present.

Unfortunately, many times we try to turn our interaction with God into a formula to obtain from Him the life we want. We try to live a good moral life. Add to that doing things in church, praying, reading the Bible, and avoiding sin. We mistakenly conclude that by doing all this perfectly, we will obtain God’s blessing. But God is not a formula, nor some kind of impersonal energy force. He is a relational being. God desires to know and be known. He thinks, feels, rejoices, grieves, loves, is angered by sin, and has compassion for our weakness. In his high priestly prayer, Jesus says to the Father, “And I have declared unto them Thy Name and will declare it, that the love wherewith thou hast loved me, may be in them and I in them.”

In other words, Christ’s desire was not merely that we would have rules or religious practices to get requests answered, but that we would experience the love of the Father. This shows that the Christian life is not about decoding some spiritual equation to receive blessings but diving into a relationship where the love of God is real, present, and transforming, and do you know what all this means? That our prayers can indeed change things, not because God does not know what to do, but because He has chosen to relate to us. He chose to act through the prayers of His people.

James 5:16 sums it up well, “The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.” Effective prayer is not reciting memorized words, nor fulfilling an obligation, because God has already decided everything. When you pray, something can change, something that was going to happen, may cease to happen. Something that was not going to happen, may begin to happen, all because you placed yourself before the living God, who hears, answers, and acts.

In Hebrews 4:16 we read, “Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” This verse is a key to understanding prayer. It does not say, let us come with fear or let us come only when we are perfect! It says with boldness! This is revolutionary. In the Old Testament, only the high priest could enter the Holy of Holys and even then, only once a year, after many rituals but now, because of Christ, every Christian can approach the throne of grace at any moment in any place. What was once the privilege of one man, is now the invitation for all of us and see what we find at this throne; not condemnation, not scorn, but abundant mercy and grace! That means when we pray, we are not standing before a grim judge waiting for our failure, but rather, before a loving Father ready to help us.

And more, the text promises help in time of need. This means that God does not answer late or out of season; He responds at the right time, at the exact moment we need. It may not be when we expect, but it is always when we need it. Prayer makes room for this divine aid that comes in just the right measure.

That’s why I want to challenge you. Don’t pray anymore as if fulfilling an obligation. Pray as one, who speaks with the present Father, as one who talks with a friend who cares, as one who participates in something real. From today on, every time you kneel or simply whisper, “Lord help me,” remember this. You are not talking to the walls. You are speaking to the Living God and He is listening. And, if He is listening, then prayer makes all the difference!

NEXT UP:

How To Let The Holy Spirit Lead

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Daisy and I Soon Found The Mayor’s House …… Part II

If you’ve not read Part I, I suggest do so prior to reading this.

… tucked under the spread of a huge banyan tree. The doors finally creaked open after a long pause following my loud knocking, and a charming, elderly Chinese lady who spoke fluent English with a British accent greeted us. “Good evening. Won’t you please come in,” she invited with polite formality. “My husband will be out soon to visit with you. Please be seated,” our host urged pointing us to several elaborately carved wooden chairs. I finally saw the mayor shuffling towards us through a darkened doorway. His wife immediately left her seat offering it to her husband and she scooted off. The mayor seemed ancient, his face a mass of wrinkles that nearly swallowed his eyes.

I could tell the mayor was very calculating by the questions he asked. Like his wife, he spoke fluent British English. Finally, the questioning came to the heart of our visit, as he directly inquired. “Why have you left America to come to Hong Kong? Why do you want to live in our village?”

I knew this was the crucial question because this was obviously a Buddhist village that practiced ancestral worship. The chances that they would allow a Western Christian Gweilo, a “foreign devil,” as Westerners are commonly called, to live among them seem very unlikely. But I also knew, I had to be totally honest about the call God had placed on our lives.

Taking a deep breath and slowly exhaling, I ventured, “We’re here because the living God directed us to come. We are here to tell Chinese people about his Son, Jesus Christ. Do you know who he is?”

The mayor looked at me for an uncomfortably long time. I couldn’t tell what he was thinking as he stared at me from expressionless eyes peering out of narrow slits. Finally, a slight smile began to break scattering the wrinkles on his face in different directions.

 To my complete surprise, he said, “Well, praise the Lord! I’ve been preparing for years that God would bring someone to this village with the gospel. What can I do to help you?”

By the end of our visit, the mayor and I had an agreement that would help renovate an older two-story house in the middle of the village. His daughter owned it and been used for storage over the previous 20 years. In exchange they would waive the standard two-month deposit along with the first month’s rent. They would also pay for all the materials we required make the property livable again. Before Daisy and I left the village, we prayed together with the mayor that God would use us to bring glory to His name and that His love would be revealed in the village.

Work on our new project began the next day as we rushed to beat the two-week deadline of vacating the company apartment. Working late into the evening hours and on weekends, Daisy and I replaced 40 broken window panes, and removed piles of trash. We scrubbed and painted the inside of the two-story building from top to bottom. By the time I completed the last two weeks of employment, we were ready to move our few belongings out of the company apartment and into our miracle house.

Needless to say, our arrival attracted the attention of the entire village. Being the only white Westerners who ever lived in this village, I was very aware that nearly every move I made was being scrutinized, especially by the old grandmas who lived in the houses surrounding ours on all four sides. How I treated my children and my wife was carefully watched, and I felt the pressure to be on my very best behavior for the sake of representing Jesus well.

This is the second two-post revealing Wendell & Daisy’s intimate dependence on God to provide. I trust you can recall similar instances on your own journey. Count your Blessings. Be honest with your own current situation & do intercede for others you know whom are similarly struggling.

NEXT UP: An thought-provoking discourse on How To Talk “WITH” God and Not “TO” God, a 10 minute YouTube following the written script. Plan accordingly.

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GO NOW From the Innermost Parts of the Heart to the Uttermost Parts of the World

This is the second two-post revealing Wendell & Daisy’s intimate dependence on God to provide. I trust you can recall similar instances on your own journey. Count your Blessings. Be honest with your own current situation & do intercede for others you know whom are similarly struggling.

Chapter 20 Evidence of Things Not Seen Part 1.

So don’t worry about these things, saying, “What will we eat? What will we drink” What will we wear?” These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your Heavenly Father already knows all your needs. Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and He will give you everything you need. So don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today’s trouble is enough for today. Matthew 6:31-34 (NLT)

In January 1988, having worked as an art director at the import and export company for over a year, Daisy and I determined that we really had to move on. The call of God on our lives was stronger now than ever. We recognized that God had brought us this far by faith. If we were going to continue with Him on this journey, we needed to keep going by faith. The challenge of deliberately cutting from the source of finances we were now so dependent upon, was once again the battle we would have to fight. However, I didn’t want to go through that agonizing process the way I had experienced it when I left the job teaching at the college.

“Daisy, we need to know for sure if God called us a full-time service or not. If God really called us here to serve him, then the only way I know how to do this is to trust him 100 percent to take care of us and provide for our needs. I just can’t do what God has put in my heart and keep working at this job at the same time.”

Daisy agreed, and so, together, we made the choice to take another step of faith. We determined I would leave my place of employment deliberately and not tell anyone about it except God alone. No hinting by requesting prayers for our finances in newsletters to our friends, family, and church back in the states. Likewise, no telling our friends and other missionaries, or even Daisy’s family in Hong Kong that I was leaving my job. This would be between ourselves and God alone. “This I declare about the Lord: He alone is my refuge, my place of safety; he is my God, and I trust Him.” Psalm 9:2

Without deliberating further, I gave notice that I was leaving my job. This time the response from my boss was different from when I left my teaching job over a year ago.

“I want you to hire a new art director and be out of your office and the company apartment in two weeks,” I was told matter-of-factly.

I’d almost forgotten that we were living free in the company apartment and that sudden realization brought a wave of alarm I tried hard not to show. “No problem, we’ll be gone,” I replied with a faint coolness.

My mind, however screamed, Big problem! Big big problem! Just like that, I had once again taken my family on a wild plug for the edge of a cliff with no hope of a safe landing, except that God would intervene.

Word quickly spread among my office staff. “Do you know where you’re going to live?” asked Cheung, the first artist I had hired a year ago. “If you’re looking for a good place, I know some vacant apartments available in a little village where I live near the China border.” Checking himself, he said, “But I don’t know if they’ll even allow a Westerner to live there. It’s privately owned, traditional old-style Chinese village that has belonged to the Hui family for many generations. But I suppose I can find out for sure if you want me to.”

Since we had no other options for housing, on such notice, this seemed like a good idea as any. “Well, sure, why not let’s see what happens.” I replied hopefully.

When Chang arrived at the office the next day, he reported he’d already arranged for Daisy and me to meet the village mayor the following evening. The mayor wanted to interview with us before determining if permission for outsiders to live among them would be granted

Leaving our children in the care of Daisy’s mother we arrived at the village the following evening after a 35-minute train ride from our home in Mong Kok. It was a dark as we found our way to the entrance that passed through a 12-foot-thick section of an ancient fortification wall that surrounded the village for many generations. Within that gate was an altar in front of an idol of a Buddhist deity where the smoke of incense rose from the glowing tips of several just set behind a few oranges, a bowl of rice and a cup of tea. This was to honor and entreat protection from the village god and family ancestors.

TO BE CONTINUED

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Why Smart Young Americans Are Falling for Communism

And Why It Looks So Different This Time.

By Kay Rubacek, an award-winning filmmaker, author, and podcast host. After being detained in a Chinese prison for advocating for human rights, she has dedicated her work to promoting human value and facing communist regimes in their modern forms. Her forthcoming book is “Staying Human in the Age of AI.” She has also contributed to The Epoch Times since 2010. Note: All underlined words are links to documentation. This is one of my most important posts ever! Don’t miss merlin’s last paragraph BOTTOM LINE Parting Shot Over the Bow….

“They’re the smartest, most connected, and most educated generation in human history, yet also the most despairing.

They can learn quantum physics on YouTube, yet can’t afford rent. They can text anyone, anywhere, anytime, yet say they’ve never felt more alone. They’re anxious, medicated, and exhausted by a world that feels out of control: climate, economy, identity, you name it.

So when someone like mayoral candidate, Zohran Mamdani, the smiling socialist from Queens, New York, talks about free groceries, free buses, and free childcare, it doesn’t sound radical. It sounds like an offer of rescue.

Older generations were shocked and appalled by his sudden rise in popularity. Many shook their heads and asked: “How could they fall for communism again?” But they forget what it’s like to be young and searching for purpose, especially in a new digital world that’s lost its sense of meaning.

Communism Doesn’t Look Like It Used To

My grandparents fled communism twice: first from Russia, then from China. My parents-in-law fled the same ideology in Czechoslovakia.

The communism they escaped was visible: soldiers, propaganda, murder, and fear. Physical control.

Today’s version looks like compassion. It wears a smile. It speaks the language of equity and inclusion.

It doesn’t promise to seize your farm; it promises to cancel your debt.

It doesn’t call for revolution; it calls for “fairness.”

That’s what makes it more dangerous because it doesn’t look dangerous at all.

And it’s spreading through a culture where many no longer even know what the word socialism means.

What Socialism Is and What It Isn’t

“Socialism” once meant something concrete: collective or state ownership of production to enforce equality.

“Communism” was the endgame. A world without private ownership, where the state fades because everyone lives as one in peace and harmony. A “heaven on earth” created by those who want to “play God”.

But over time, those meanings dissolved and:

  • Schools stopped teaching what socialism actually was.
  • Language softened to the point where “democratic socialism” sounds harmless.
  • History blurred to the point where younger Americans associate socialism with fairness, not famine.

So now, “socialism” means virtually anything from free college to condemning government or capitalist corruption, to just being nice. And when words lose meaning, people they get confused. They lose vigilance. They stop standing up. And they stop asking hard questions.

That’s how every “new experiment” in socialism began: with good intentions and moral confusion.

Most people don’t even realize that China, the world’s largest communist state, calls itself a “democratic socialist system.” It’s run by the Chinese Communist Party, a one-party surveillance regime, and the world’s worst human rights abuser, and yet it uses the same vocabulary of fairness and equality that American socialists now repeat.

If we’re using the same word to describe both China’s dictatorship and New York’s proposed rent freeze, free buses, and free childcare for all, maybe the confusion isn’t accidental.

The DSA: An Ideology, Not a Party

Zohran Mamdani, isn’t just a Democrat, he’s part of the Democratic Socialists of America, or DSA. The distinction is important whether you live in New York or not.

The DSA describes its mission this way:

“We are democratic socialists because we reject an authoritarian state and favor democracy—in both politics and the economy. We believe that working people should run both the economy and society democratically to meet human needs, not to make profits for a few.” ~ Democratic Socialists of America

That may sound reasonable at first glance. But read it closely. It isn’t a policy platform, it’s a moral creed.

The DSA isn’t structured like a traditional U.S. political party that trades in compromise, data, and incremental progress. It’s an ideological movement, guided by belief, not evidence. It’s not designed to include a broad coalition of differing views or negotiate competing interests the way a traditional party does. It’s designed to reshape culture itself over the long term, to shift moral language, redefine values, and make its worldview feel like common sense rather than political choice.

It’s driven more by faith than by reason. It is based on the belief that if people like them ran the system, they could fix it. That is idealism disguised as governance. And that’s why it resonates with the young.

In a world of despair, it tells the youth they can be the saviors.

That’s a powerful message, yet a dangerous one. It’s a message designed to indoctrinate, not to educate.

The Long March Through the Institutions

In the 1960s, a German activist named Rudi Dutschke coined the phrase “the long march through the institutions.”

He meant that socialism could win over nations by slowly reshaping culture—schools, media, art, faith, and language—until people stopped noticing the change.

Leftist intellectuals like Herbert Marcuse, a German-born Marxist thinker and “the Father of the New Left” helped teach and apply that strategy to America’s institutions, describing it as “working against the established institutions while working in them”.

Same goal. Different method.

And it worked.

Over decades, socialism has rebranded as empathy. Now, many Americans who would never dream of calling themselves communists proudly call themselves “democratic socialists.”

They don’t realize it’s the same ideological seed just planted in softer soil.

This Is More Than a Social Trend

In their youth, our older generations sought belonging—to find their place in society that they were coming to understand.

This generation of youth is different. They are seeking reasons to live at all.

They’re living through an existential crisis:

  • Youth suicide rates have never been higher.
  • In Canada, the government has received requests for assisted suicide from children as young as twelve, and they’re considering offering it to them.

When life feels that empty, ideology is a replacement for meaning, for purpose. It isn’t just politics, it’s salvation.

Socialism offers that: a moral framework, a simple villain (the rich, the system), and a promise of redemption through equality.

It says: Your pain isn’t your fault. The system did this to you. And if we rebuild the system, you’ll finally be free.

That’s more secular gospel than a political message. And it works when it is filling a void that used to be filled by faith, family, mental freedom, and purpose.

Why the Old Warnings Don’t Work

Telling a 20-year-old that communism killed 100 million people won’t reach them when they already feel like life isn’t worth living.

Milton Friedman, economist and Nobel laureate prepared us that we would have to play our part for each future generation:

“The battle for freedom must be won over and over again. The socialists in all parties… must once again be persuaded or defeated if we are to remain free men.”

He was right. But persuasion isn’t just about logic. It’s about meaning. We can’t out-argue socialism with data or intellect. We have to out-inspire it by showing that freedom, responsibility, and creativity give life deeper purpose than any government plan ever could.

Going Forward

Freedom alone isn’t enough anymore, especially for the youth. It has to mean something. And that meaning begins with the one thing socialism always promises but never truly delivers: human connection.

When people feel unseen, ideology is seductive.

Mamdani’s smile isn’t powerful because it’s political, it’s powerful because it’s human. It makes people feel seen.

That’s the same hunger that algorithms exploit, that politics manipulates, and that too many of us forget to feed in our daily lives.

The real answer isn’t more politics or a new ideology. It’s relearning how to be human again—a handshake, a hug, a conversation that isn’t scored for likes or for outrage.

It’s building community by choice, not by coercion. Growing compassion without collectivism. Seeking truth and honesty without manipulation or indoctrination.

We already have algorithms pretending to be our friends. We don’t need politics to become another substitute for human connection.

And we certainly don’t need more social experiments to prove another inevitable socialist failure. We need to move on after learning from a century of failed attempts.

Young people aren’t crazy for wanting a better world. They’re desperate for a reason to care but they’re looking for it in all the wrong places. If we want to help them, we have to start where politics can’t go: with real human warmth. Because the only thing stronger than ideology is still the human heart which is as immeasurable as it is powerful. And which has seen man through the darkest of times and has never let us down.

merlin’s BOTTOM LINE: Parting Shot Over the Bow….

Listen, the above from Kay is well & good, and needs to be said, but beware, it is not enough! And I well understand, how the human heart by itself is so easily deceived. (Jeremiah 17:9) “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?” I too was deceived and lulled complacently for decades, but once I surrendered to the gospel of Jesus Christ, to His compelling & enlightening path, being personally & intimately called (and not merely by algorithms either), both convicted & forgiven of my sin, then transformed & empowered, such that we are instantly justified, continually sanctified, eventually GLORIFIED INTO HIS PRESENCE! All absolutely & infinitely beyond any earthly political or church culture kingdom comparison! And now, as His Ambassadors, we must speak His truth! And dare I say, collectively or individually in our sheltered community enclaves, we’re often failing miserably. I know, for too long I’ve been a hypocrite, merely culturally engaged, like the Pharisees legalistically checking boxes! But, once Christ’s love is in our Hearts & Minds, confirmed by our living in obedience to Him, everything will change in our communities and the world.

Lest We Forget in memory of JFK’s inaugural address with a twist, “Ask not what your country can do for you–ask rather, whom God would have you love in His kingdom today!”

And that my friend, is light years beyond an Irrational Act of Generosity!

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Five People GOD Commands You Not to Help!  By “Illustrated Theology.”

FYI, after the “Irrational Generosity” post, a trusted spiritual mentor, Rob, actually he is half my age (note age has no correlation to spiritual wisdom), within hours, sent me this You Tube for my review. It spoke truth Loretta & I needed to hear. Notice I even went to the trouble to place its 12 minute script in print (2900 words) so you can review it to better ruminate on its implications. I must say I’m intrigued by their other titles, a few of which are below.  

Other Video You Tube Titles :

Jesus revealed In Every Book of the Old Testament

Don’t Fall For These 5 Satanic Traps

How To Talk WITH God and NOT TO God / Pray Effectively

How to LET the Holy Spirit LEAD Your Life

How to Differentiate Your VOICE and God’s VOICE

Five People GOD Commands You Not to Help!  By “Illustrated Theology.”

If I told you that God commands not to help certain kinds of people, would you believe it? It almost sounds wrong to say that.  We’re constantly told that Christians must help everyone, say yes to every request, and never refuse anyone in need. But, when you actually read the Bible carefully, you discover something surprising. God does not approve of every kind of help. In fact, there are certain types of people that when you help them, you’re actually disobeying the Lord and you may even be putting your own life at risk. Stay in this video until the end because I’m going to show you exactly who these people are.

  1. The first kind of person you should not help is the Manipulator.

Proverbs 12:22 states clearly “lying lips are abomination to the Lord but they that deal truly are His delight.” Look at the word God uses. Abomination. In other words, manipulation is not just a personality trait, not just the way they are, much less, emotional neediness. It is sin. God does not look at lies with pity. He looks at them with disgust, and when you support someone who lives in this game of deception, even without realizing it, you are not healthy. You are sponsoring their sin and you know the mistake most Christians make here, thinking that loving someone means saying yes to everything, that we are obligated to fix everyone’s problems. But that idea is wrong, because Jesus didn’t do that. There was a time when a man came to him and said, “Master, speak to my brother, that he divide the inheritance with me.” And how did Jesus reply? “Man, who made me a judge or a divider over you?”

In other words, Jesus refused to get involved in that issue. Jesus did not allow people to place him in roles that were not His. He knew exactly when to help and when to say, “That’s not mine to handle.” He would not let himself be manipulated by a greedy man. So, understand this once and for all. If someone only remembers you when they need something, if they constantly back you into a corner with phrases like, “If you were a real Christian, you’d do this for me,” if they make you feel guilty for protecting your peace or your boundaries, that is not a cry for help, that is manipulation and helping a manipulator does not set anyone free. It only strengthens their control over you. And sometimes, the manipulator will shower you with praises and compliments, that you hopefully, instantly recognize & know in your heart and spirit, that such are of evil origin. That’s why sometimes the most biblical response you can have is not to extend your hand, but to cut off access. Love is not saying yes to blackmail. Love is saying, “I’m here for you, but I will not play your game.”

2. Now I need to talk about a Lazy person,

the kind of person that many Christian’s support, thinking they’re doing charity, when in reality, they’re getting in the way of what God wants to teach the lazy, and I’m not talking about someone going through a hard time, struggling with unemployment, trying to rebuild their life. That kind of person deserves help, encouragement, prayer, and support. The problem is the one who never takes a step, yet wants life to move forward by itself. They’re always asking for prayer, but have never bent their own knees, always asking for help, but never lift a finger to help themselves.

On this Paul, says in II Thessalonians 3:10 “For even when we were with you, we commanded you that if any would not work, neither should he eat.” Pay attention to the wording “would not”, not “could not.” The difference is massive. Some people suffer because of things they cannot change, but others suffer because they chose not to make an effort, and what happens? You step in and help, you fix the situation. The person feels relieved and you think now they’ll change but they don’t. The following week they’re back and you help again. Then they’re back and you help again, until one day you realize the person is entrapped in hardship.

They’re comfortable in the dependency you built, and Paul continues saying, “There were some which walk among you disorderly, working not at all, but are busy bodies.” In other words, the lazy has no energy to work, but has plenty of time to gossip. The apostle is making it clear, if someone does not occupy themselves with what they should, they will end up occupied with what they shouldn’t, so if you’re carrying someone who refuses to walk, stop helping, not to abandon them, but to let God do what you’ve been preventing. Sometimes the fall you keep rescuing them from is exactly the push God wants to use to wake them up, so they can finally overcome laziness.

3. The Repeat Fool

Another kind of person you should not help is the Repeat Fool. This one is a specialist in draining your patience, because unlike the lazy, he seems like he wants help. He listens to advice, nods his head, agrees with every word you say; sometimes he even cries. He says that this time, it’ll be different and you believe it, but after a week, there he is again, in the same mistake, with the same speech, with the same empty promises. You pray for him, talk to him, give advice, send him Bible verses, sermons, videos, devotionals, and what changes? Nothing! Why? He doesn’t want transformation; he wants relief. He wants you to become his spiritual nursing home, where he can rest between one fall and the next, without ever having to truly decide to break away from what destroys him.

The Bible describes this kind of person perfectly. Proverbs 26:11 says, “As a dog returneth to his vomit, so a fool returneth to his folly.” Strong, yes! Disgusting, also! But that is exactly what happens. Some people leave a terrible relationship, only to enter another just like it. They get out of debt, and go right back to spending the same way. They ask for prayer over a sin, but change nothing in their routine, to overcome that sin. They don’t want deliverance, they want anesthesia, and then the question starts hammering in your head. “Do I have to keep helping? And the biblical answer is, “You help those who want to get out, not those who just want to rest between stumbles, because if you keep rescuing them every time, you are no longer a helper, you’ve become a lifeguard for someone who likes to drown.

 The Bible is direct & explicit about this. Proverbs 23:9 says, “Speak not in the ears of a fool, for he will despise the wisdom of thy words.” In other words, do not waste counsel on someone who doesn’t want change, because your time is valuable, your energy is limited, and while you’re trying to save someone who doesn’t want to be saved, there is someone beside you who does want to be transformed, but you don’t see them, because you’re too busy rescuing someone who turned foolishness into a lifestyle.

4. Proud

 If the fool wears you out by repetition, the proud wears you out by resistance. You show them the Bible, they argue, you give them advice, they roll their eyes. You point out the danger. They respond saying they know what they’re doing. And the most ironic part, sometimes this kind even comes asking for help, but on their terms. They want a solution without admitting they were wrong. They want healing, without confessing, they are sick. They want change, without humbling themselves.

About this kind of person, James 4:6 says “But he giveth more grace, wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble.” Look at that word, resisteth. God opposes. God stands against pride. Translation, if even God is not helping someone because they refuse to humble themselves and admit their need, who are you to try?

And there’s more! Proverbs 26:12 says, “Seeth thou a man wise in his own conceit; there is more hope of a fool than of him.” In other words, it’s easier to convince a fool than a proud man, because the fool still knows he needs help. He may fall 1000 times but at some level, he recognizes he is lost, but the proud thinks he’s right. He’s not only in error, he is convinced his error is the right path, and someone who thinks they’re fine, will never seek change.

And remember the rich young ruler, Jesus spoke truth in love, showed him the way, offered him the chance to follow him. The man heard it, understood it, but preferred to keep the status and pride that came with his will. He didn’t just walk away sad. He walked away chained to his own pedestal and what did Jesus do, did he chase after him, saying “Wait, I take it back. I didn’t mean it that strongly!” Jesus let him go because some people only learn when they lose.

5. Quarrelsome One

Another kind of person you should not help is the Quarrelsome One, and I’m not talking about someone who defends the truth firmly. I’m talking about someone who creates conflict wherever they go. They fight at work, argue in traffic, stir up trouble in the family, cause division in the church, they are never wrong! They are always the one being mistreated, and you with your Christian heart, go there trying to be a peacemaker. You defend them, take their side, argue on their behalf, thinking you’re being righteous. But as soon as one war ends, they’re already in another, because they don’t want peace. They want attention.

Proverbs 19:19 speaks exactly about such a person. “A man of great wrath shall suffer punishment, for if thou deliver him, yet thou must do it again.” In other words, if you put out the fire that he himself started, get ready to put out another tomorrow, because he will create another mess. That’s why the Bible is stating clearly, “Do not help the quarrelsome one. Let him reap the fruit of his own chaos,” because many times, the discipline he needs, does not come in the form of a hug, it comes in the form of consequence, and you know what the danger is? If you keep rescuing him, You stop being a peacemaker, and become an accomplice.

You are not bringing peace, you are prolonging the chaos. Because as long as someone keeps bailing him out, he will never change. So, understand, it is not a lack of love to let the quarrelsome person feel the weight of their own choices. Sometimes the best help is to step aside and let God deal with them.

 So in review, who are the five types of people the Bible says you should not help?

  1. First, the MANIPULATOR who doesn’t ask for help, but controls.
  2. Second, the LAZY who doesn’t want change, only comfort.
  3. Third, the REPEAT FOOL who keeps making the same mistakes and uses you as temporary relief.
  4. Fourth, the PROUD who wants a solution without admitting fault.
  5. Fifth, the QUARRELSOME who is always stirring conflict with everyone.

BOTTOM LINE:

Maybe now you have that question hammering in your mind, “But if I stop helping, am I sinning?” The answer is simple. It depends. If you are helping someone who truly wants change, keep going. The Bible commands us to carry one another’s burdens. But if you are sustaining sin, feeding your responsibility, or protecting someone God is trying to confront, then that is not love, it is disobedience.

Illustrated Theology Advertising:

Now if you want to go deeper in your Bible study check out my exclusive resource “Mind Maps” of all the books of the Bible designed to make your learning easier and more effective. You’ll also get bonus materials to take your Bible journey to the next level. Don’t miss out. Click the link in the description to get instant access and before you go, don’t forget to watch the next video that’s showing up on your screen. It’s one you won’t want to miss, “Stay in Peace.” See you next time!

NEXT UP:

Why Smart Young Americans Are Falling For Communism…. Kay Rubacek

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IRRATIONAL GENEROSITY

Welcome to 2MinuteMark, a weekly email with one agenda– Inspiration from God’s Word.

It was a beautiful watch—

A gift from work,

For going above and beyond.

A lofty sales goal met.

But my friend Christian moves too quickly

For fancy watches or jewelry

To slow him down.

The first Sunday after receiving it,

He wore it to church.

A few people noticed.

A couple made comments.

But one young man was mesmerized.

“What a beautiful watch,” he said.

“It’s the most gorgeous watch I’ve ever seen.”

Without hesitation,

Without thinking,

Christian slipped it off his wrist.

“Here,” he said. “It’s yours.”

The young man was stunned.

The gesture didn’t compute.

Why would someone give someone like him

Such a beautiful watch?

Christian didn’t have an explanation.

He just knew—

It was the right thing to do.

The young man accepted the gift,

Still dazed.

“Thank you,” he murmured.

Many of us use logic.

Some of us use percentages.

(Actually, not a bad idea.)

But logic and percentages

Often miss the point of generosity.

If we want to be truly generous,

We must embrace irrationality.

Jesus applauds its craziness.

As a woman anointed Him

With the most expensive perfume,

The disciples protested:

“Why this waste? They asked.

This perfume could have been sold at a high price

And the money given to the poor.”

— Matthew 26:8–9

The poor—

A worthy focus of generosity.

Who could argue?

Apparently, Jesus.

He reminded them:

“The poor you will always have with you.”

Poverty arrived when mankind chose sin.

It’s a fixture of our fallen world.

And it will remain.

Generosity has many facets—

Need and relationships,

Purpose and fulfillment,

Timing and trust.

But in the end, it comes down to this:

What is my priority?

We won’t cure poverty.

(That may be news to some.)

But there is a solution—

Not a logical, dollars-and-cents solution,

But an eternal one.

A relationship.

Rooted in God’s priority for us:

Love God.

Love others.

It will cost us—

Not just a year’s wages

Like the perfume,

But a lifetime.

A few Sundays later,

The young man approached Christian.

“I was done with church,” he said.

“That was going to be my last Sunday.

But I prayed,

‘God, please give me a visible sign

That You’re real.’”

He held up the watch.

Smiling, he said, “I’m back.”

(Am I ready for a similar life-enhancing generosity??)

–Mark Coblentz Walnut Creek Cheese & Market

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BOTTOM LINE: For Building His Natural & Acquired Immunity For Kingdom Service

Listen my friends, if we can just get our minds back on the right track during this sanctification process, and hear the Lord is not telling us that we’re necessarily going to have to live in a slum all our life, that’s not what He’s saying! No, but we do have to make our choices, for we all will be both commonly and uniquely tried during these boots on the ground “gettin-ready” encounters!

You do know what happens when we’re not tried & tested? Usually the same thing that happens when we never work out, never go to the gym. We just get all mushy soft & weak. If we desire vigor, we must get get appropriate exercise. Perhaps, even lift weights. When we lift weights, what happens? The weights oppose our muscles. Likewise, to strengthen our faith, just as a parent lovingly applies discipline for their child’s course correction, we need something that will oppose our faith, something to challenge, discourage or diminish our faith. For all the while we’re fighting desperately to remain committed to Jesus, to stand up in obedience, we mature, we gain His righteousness, we are humbled, strengthened; such that nothing can take us down. That’s the sanctification your Father is desiring for us. 

Consider what happens when a baby begins to crawl? Do you not know their muscles are incredibly weak? But they will crawl until they can’t move. They experience, as we do in the gym, when we do reps until we experience “muscle burn-out.” They exert everything they have when they start crawling inch by inch, in order to get somewhere, such that months later, their bodies get strong & sufficiently coordinated to crawl fast, eventually pulling up, taking steps, that leads to walking. Initially, they only walk several steps and fall over because their legs are weak, but they get up and do it again, over and over, until they master balance and gain strength. And when they  DO begin walking, they do not get up saying, “Oh, how many steps is it to the front door? That comes much later, such as when you have a mobility problem with your legs or your strength. Right? When you utilize “walkers” featuring a seat to rest on, brakes to stop with, and a basket for your treasures!

After maturing into adulthood, you exchange fighting mobility & gravity and gaining social skills for the likes of, whatever for example, is stressing you out right now. You’ve been, and are yet BEING, prepared to overcome everything that lies before you in your journey to sanctification; every trial, every tribulation, every relationship disappointment or rejection, that will happen in your life. Perhaps somebody lied when they flippantly told you, “You’re not supposed to be in this situation!”

Yes, we must, and will be, in order to learn to overcome them. Remember, when we’re opposing whatever, the process becomes just like you learning to walk, or, when we’re very young, and we don’t yet have immunity against colds & viruses; thus, exposure makes us sick, but every time we suffer sickness, we gradually build up our immunity to that bug, such that whenever it comes around again, our “unconsciously built-in” immunity within our body will fight it off, before we’re even aware of its presence. We literally have no idea how many “bugs” we’re exposed to every day, whether it be in you body’s natural immune system, or even more importantly, because we’re spiritually immunized by God’s Instant Justification, and by His continual sanctifying natural immunity. HALLELUJAH!  

That’s exactly what the Lord is working out for each of us every minute of our lives. He doesn’t merely rescue us from the devil. Rather, we’re here to overcome & defeat the devil, so that when the serpent does his dirt, we step right on his head and keep on walking. Unfortunately, too many Christians today believe we’re supposed to be “rescued” from darkness, when actually, the Lord desires to make us spiritually stronger than the darkness.

Can we see that? That we’re being made stronger all the while we’re being sanctified & reinforced, as with our bodies’ natural immunity? Such that we will unconsciously build our spiritual strength such that we will be immune to the devil and anything he represents? That’s what’s happening here! Do you understand how much training that requires? In order to make us strong, So Satan can’t take us out.

But we certainly don’t act like that! Out & about, I’m hearing that the serpent is trying to kill us and wreck our lives, that our lives are a mess, and this that and the other… No, actually, God is helping us become immune to darkness, the devil, and anything he represents. We’re learning to walk above the darkness and its effect on us! Now do we see why God does not come and rescue everybody? He need not do that! He knows exactly what He’s doing in order to grow us, such that we ASAP possess His different mindset. Do we all see that?

Somehow, we must make ourselves mindful that these trials and tribulations are directly from the love of God. Can we remember that? He is faithful to make us stronger than anything Satan represents, stronger than all darkness, truly being His children. Don’t we see that? And, since we’re still alive today, and here, by strategically believing in Christ, that means his power is working, because the darkness that affected us earlier, does no longer. Hallelujah!

BOTTOM LINE:

 We must remind ourselves of His provision for His Natural & Acquired IMMUNITY, so we’ll not be one of those who would believe we’re supposed to go to Disney World on vacation, when in fact, we’re being strategically and tactically prepared for His kingdom service here & now, UNTIL He calls / takes us home. That PROCESS will establish the solid foundation we need to survive and thrive on our journey to the Celestial City.

BONUS SCRIPTURE FOR FREE. Had this read to me this morning while walking. These 11 verses are worth more than all the above. Just saying….merlin

Hebrews 12:5-15 (MSG)

5. So don’t feel sorry for yourselves. Or have you forgotten how good parents treat children, and that God regards you as his children? My dear child, don’t shrug off God’s discipline, but don’t be crushed by it either.
6. It’s the child he loves that he disciplines; the child he embraces, he also corrects.
7. God is educating you; that’s why you must never drop out. He’s treating you as dear children. This trouble you’re in isn’t punishment; it’s training,
8. the normal experience of children. Only irresponsible parents leave children to fend for themselves. Would you prefer an irresponsible God?
9. We respect our own parents for training and not spoiling us, so why not embrace God’s training so we can truly live?
10. While we were children, our parents did what seemed best to them. But God is doing what is best for us, training us to live God’s holy best.
11. At the time, discipline isn’t much fun. It always feels like it’s going against the grain. Later, of course, it pays off handsomely, for it’s the well-trained who find themselves mature in their relationship with God.
12. So don’t sit around on your hands! No more dragging your feet!
13. Clear the path for long-distance runners so no one will trip and fall, so no one will step in a hole and sprain an ankle. Help each other out. And run for it!
14. Work at getting along with each other and with God. Otherwise you’ll never get so much as a glimpse of God.
15. Make sure no one gets left out of God’s generosity. Keep a sharp eye out for weeds of bitter discontent. A thistle or two gone to seed can ruin a whole garden in no time.

ENJOY YOUR DAY!

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This world is not your paradise. It never was, and it’s not supposed to be. THIS WORLD IS YOUR “PROCESSING STAGE” For Your BOOTS ON THE GROUND TRAINING!

The second problem is that our interpretations of those expectations are wrong because too many people believe that if they’re not blessed right now the way they think they should be blessed, that somehow God is angry at them! So, they interpret their current conditions as proof of the level of their relationship they now have with the Lord. This is also incorrect and merits further scriptural research.

At one time, our young people had an expectation that everything would be OK in their lives, and never really believed they’d experience real opposition in spiritual matters. So when opposition came, it devastated a great many of these once children, now adults. After you share scripture with them, and they realize they are supposed to have this understanding in their lives, they become the happiest people on earth. You know why? They now expect to be opposed! They’re not even afraid when the trials come. They are totally different  once they are Biblically clued in. This generation today know they have the truth. They know they are to have fiery trials, for when they carry the Gospel, they know Satan will oppose them in the worst way. And when it happens, this generation are not distracted. Why? Because people are finally sharing God’s truth with them. And when you share the truth with them, they do not expect their life to be a paradigm. They expect to be raised by the living God His way.

See, nobody told we baby boomers that. Every time I get an opportunity to talk to someone young, I tell them that. This world is not your paradise. It never was, and it’s not supposed to be. THIS WORLD IS TO PROCESS YOU! WITH YOUR BOOTS ON THE GROUND IN THE TRENCHES 24/7/365!!!. And once they understand what it is, they become the happiest, most joyful generation on earth. No depression, no bad habits. It is amazing.

But may we agree, especially for some of us older ones, that we weren’t told as clearly during our younger days as they are now, were we? Or perhaps, we were told but we ignored the admonitions. We, of the Silent Generation (1928-45), & Baby Boomers (1946-1964) 7 Gen X (1965-80) trudged thru the days of the Korean War, the Berlin Wall, the Cuban Crisis, the Vietnam War, the Three key U.S. Assassinations, the Moral Majority, Name It & Claim It, the Prosperity Gospel, and all the other such evangelical seeker sensitive pop methodologies…

And so today, every time I hear older people say, and it occurs quite often, when something goes wrong in their lives, “What did I do wrong?” You know what that implies? When a person says, “What did I do wrong,” they were likely believing that they were indeed, doing everything right! Possible?

BEWARE EVERYONE, for that’s exactly NOT His righteous attitude! I’m fearing those speaking those five words, “what did I do wrong (WDIDW)?” are basing their confidence and security in a church culture, based on following all the prescribed steps, or checking all the boxes, much like the Pharisees. Contrast that synthetic, “form & no substance” to rather, His compelling & enlightening being called, convicted, forgiven, transformed, empowered, including being justified, sanctified, and eventually glorified, Christ Followers!  Absolutely no comparison!

Too often church attendance, even membership, is merely a culture expression, so when tribulation floods in, the cultural robot goes sprawling into depression, or worse. But when a spirit empowered person understanding our life’s trials are designed to raise us up in the Lord’s way, such that, when troubles do appear, we are equipped to react unconsciously, much as our body does with its natural immunity. That’s when we exhibit solidarity with Christ, like some of the older people we knew earlier in our lives, like our grandparents, for example, when everything was falling apart, or blowing up around them, they’d just sit there rocking in their chairs saying, “You know, you’re all overthinking this, come, sit down, and have some tea.” And all the while, you’re in your mind saying, “How can they ever be so calm at a time like this?

Actually, they’ve been there, many times. They’ve seen it, experienced it, & know the truth, right? And you know what else they had going for them, that too many my generation are now lacking? I believe God just revealed it to me while I was on my walk after gym this morning. One key is scriptural fluency. Max Lucado read I & II Peter to me on my phone while I trudged the perimeter. I may listen again tomorrow morning. This post is only feeble words! GO for the GOLD, the Holy inspired words from God Almighty. I & II Peter is where it’s at to prepare us for what’s coming!!!

NEXT UP: BOTTOM LINE: For Building His Natural & Acquired Immunity For Kingdom Service…

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Have We Been Set-Up?

Several weeks ago a friend sent me this nearly 4000 word conversational spiritual teaching that intrigues me greatly, but I’ve not done well at all editing & condensing it, as it’s still 2100 words long. Since it arrived without a title, I’m calling it “Immunity For Effective Kingdom Service.”

The next 3 posts are titled 1.) Have We Been Set UP?; 2.) This World is Our Process to Spiritual Maturity; & 3.) Building His Natural & Acquired Immunity

IMAGINE THIS:

One Christmas, a child is told that a week of their summer vacation will be spent at Disney World. Understandably, that child is going to live their life like they’re going to Disney World!  They’re going be telling everyone in school. “I’m reading up on Mickey Mouse because you know I’m going there this summer.” So, about every other day, they’re gonna tell somebody something about Disney World. This future trip will dominate all aspects of their daily living. Why? Because they believe that they are going there this summer. They will adjust all aspects of their life accordingly. That’s what promised expectations can do.

Now, just guess what happens when summer comes and they ask, “When are we going to Disney World,” and they are told, “Well, you’re going to Disneyland, not to Disney World.” Even the child knows the difference and his tantrums will not be pretty, right? That child will have wasted a lot of time but more importantly, that child is going to be upset, emotionally fractured, possibly, even crushed, and understandably so!

The same thing can & does happens with Christians. So, just let me go ahead and say it, if you’re a Christian, and you have a belief that while you’re in this world, slowly but surely, it’s supposed to become a paradise; or, perhaps you think you’ll magically be removed before it does get bad, you’ve been snookered! Some Christians even possess an “entitlement mindset,” for whatever reason; thinking that by checking the boxes, doing good works, and such, that for every day they face this encroaching darkness personally, they’re too going to be upset, because they were thinking at some point they’d would be absolutely 100 percent shielded from everything; opposition, trials, tribulations, no trouble, no anything painful!

Of course, we’ve never been tempted to view our Christian journey that way! Wrong! So, what do we do when the shielding never arrives and the darkness pervades our very existence and we feel as though we’ve been lied to as the child counting the days until their Disney World vacation. If & when that happens to you, you’d be upset too, just as the people right now, be they in or out of church, because they believed if they had a relationship with a local church or God, their troubles would go away or they’d be exempt. That’s what they believed, or better stated, mentally asserted, but it was in error.

 In addition, too many persons have the expectation somehow that the devil will not oppose them, that they’re not supposed to have trials and tribulations. The Bible says; “Don’t think it’s strange when you have fiery trials…” So, when your life falls apart, you get depressed, may even lash out.

However, consider if in fact, a person expected to have these trials & tribulations? Then they’d likely not get upset, nor be depressed, would they? If you knew from the Get-Go, you were going to be opposed, you’d not likely get angry, for the Bible is clear that we can expect such. So, possessing that perspective, when we break through that first barrier and realize my earthy paradise expectations were wrong, I immediately correct them scripturally, and re-focus.

The second problem can occur when our interpretations of those expectations are wrong, because many people believe that if they’re not blessed right now the way they think they should be blessed, that somehow God is angry at them! So, they interpret their current conditions as proof of the level of their relationship they have with the Lord. And that’s also incorrect.

NEXT UP:

Part 2 This world is not your paradise. It never was, and it’s not supposed to be. This World Is Our “PROCESS!” to Spiritual Maturity… BOOTS ON THE GROUND VARIETY!

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“HIS-Just-In-Time-Publishing” Gives You Today’s SPIRITUAL ENCOURAGEMENT & CULTURAL INSIGHTS

From Wendell Martin’s GO NOW Ch 22 “The First Bible Courier Trip.”

The good news about the kingdom will be preached throughout the whole world so that all nations will hear it and the then the end will come. Matthew 24:14 (NLT)

Last evening the future blog post pantry was bare. I did not despair. This morning after our intense separate hour walk (currently, l can’t begin to keep up with Loretta’s & Angel’s pace), so after listening to the book of James and prayer, when I returned home, I read these words to Loretta from Go Now. I was compelled to share. Enjoy. And DO COUNT Your Blessings! merlin

“One of the most outstanding things about Hong Kong is how crowded it is. It was almost impossible to escape the multitudes of people once stepping outside our tiny apartment. The border area that links Hong Kong and China is no exception. Over 250,000 people process through immigration customs every day as they walk the short distance from the train terminals to cross between Hong Kong and Shenzhen, China.

In December 1978, just a little over two years after the death of Maul Zedong, the founder of China’s Communist Party, his successor Deng Xiaoping, had announced a new open-door policy paving the way for foreign businesses to once again do business in China. For 30 years, China’s government had imposed self-isolation from the rest of the world as Mao Zedong had elevated himself to the status of a god. He wielded his power to create a new socialist China using radical and merciless tactics that left the nation in ruin, at the terrible cost of an estimated 60 to 80 million Chinese lives.

Many things that happened under Mao Zedong’s control were disastrous for the people of China; however, there were some good things too. One of the great accomplishments under his regime was a new form of writing called the “simplified script.” With this, Chairman Mao was able to educate a mostly illiterate nation how to read.

With a literate nation, Mao Zedong was able to unify, indoctrinate, and control the population through propaganda and his famous Little Red Book, which was full of quotations from his speeches and writings. It became almost mandatory for every Chinese citizen to own, read, and carry the book so they could easily refer to it for guidance and inspiration. Tens of millions of copies were published. Failures produce a copy when requested would result in punishment which varied from verbal harassment and beatings to a prison sentence. At the same time, classic literature and modern works were destroyed so the Chinese citizens could only read the Little Red Book. In spite of the horrific aftermath of Chairman Mao’s policies, the nation still exalted and worshiped him some out of blind loyalty and others out of sheer terror.

With very little approved literature available. it is easy to understand that China developed a deep hunger for anything in writing. This included the Bible! With a spiritual vacuum and a hunger for the written word, God’s Word was eagerly sought after by a nation disillusioned by empty government promises and heavy-handed control.

In those early days, every Bible brought into China was a treasure that purportedly resulted in at least 100 people coming to faith in Jesus. The Chinese told us once that they had a Bible, it was passed from one hungry person to another without ever being put down. Its treasured pages were hand-copied and large portions were committed to memory. God’s word was like gasoline poured on a smoldering fire. The move of God in China exploded as thousands upon thousands of people found new life hope and purpose and salvation through Jesus. They found freedom from the grip of sin and the spiritual vacuum left in the wake of communist ideology.

As China began opening to the rest of the world, Christian tourists visiting China began crossing the borders in the China carrying Bibles hidden in their luggage. Although Bibles carried into China from outside were not specifically listed as contraband, it was illegal for Chinese citizens to receive a Bible from outside China.

While many of these Bibles were confiscated at the border, some were allowed to slip through. China had a delicate dance to perform on the world stage on which they now found themselves. On the one hand, they did not want to be seen by the international community as being totally intolerant of Christianity. Doing so could impede the inflow of Western wealth that China so desperately needed. On the other hand, they also needed to maintain thought control and squelch the unsettling move of God sweeping across China. Jesus was drawing millions of people into a unified grassroots movement. This posed a serious threat to a system of government that could not fully function with people answering to a higher power than their government leaders.

While the Chinese custom officials made every effort to control the number of Bibles coming over their border, the reality was that God was working on the behalf of his people. Over the years as China opened to the West, millions of Bibles were carefully carried into China by couriers making two and three trips across the border every day with their precious cargo.

NEXT UP: Not Yet Revealed. No Rush. His Timing!

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