The Struggle Of Being So Few
Thank you for your encouraging words.Hi Mike and all of you at your link to truth;
We have many friends of the called, but we find none of the chosen in our area. Your talk on the priests helps us to deal with the rejection of called. It is very difficult to converse about the word with people who refuse to read the word. It is not given to them to understand, and makes no difference when we try to explain. When we do they reject us as heretics. They ask but then do not listen. This situation sometimes makes us wonder if we really do have the truth. Your talk on the priests reassures us in the word. Our fellowship, at least for the present will have to be by email and listening to your teachings with the Word open.
Thanks again and may God bless you and yours.
In love R____
I dealt with the struggle you two are enduring at our conference in Dallas. Being so isolated and seeing so many others claiming to be the seed of Abraham, is one of the greatest hurdles we must all conquer.
Look at this verse of God's Word and accept the Truth of the revelation of Jesus Christ found in this verse:
Gen 37:2 These are the generations of Jacob. Joseph, [being] seventeen years old, was feeding the flock with his brethren; and the lad was with the sons of Bilhah, and with the sons of Zilpah, his father's wives: and Joseph brought unto his father their evil report.
Joseph represents Christ in us. His brothers were "Abraham's seed" just as was Joseph. But they still wanted to kill Joseph:
Our greatest enemy is within our own hearts, but the next greatest enemy is also within the house of God, and is our own brothers and sisters in Babylon, "Our own [spiritual] household."Joh 8:31 Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, [then] are ye my disciples indeed;
Joh 8:32 And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.
Joh 8:33 They answered him, We be Abraham's seed, and were never in bondage to any man: how sayest thou, Ye shall be made free?
Joh 8:34 Jesus answered them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin.
Joh 8:35 And the servant abideth not in the house for ever: [but] the Son abideth ever.
Joh 8:36 If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.
Joh 8:37 I know that ye are Abraham's seed; but ye seek to kill me, because my word hath no place in you.
This is the experience we all have. We have all preferred the fellowship of our brothers and participation in the things which bring an "evil report to our Father," to being separated from our brothers who "are Abraham's seed." It was true even of Christ's own apostles when they all fled from Him and left Him to his fate.
Joseph placed unity with His Father above unity with His brothers, "Abraham's seed." That is the trial we all live out for we will, at our appointed time be both Joseph's brothers, and then with the mercy and grace of God, we will one day be Joseph, and be willing to be separated from and hated by our own spiritual brothers.
That is the essence of the two begettals of which Christ told Nicodemus, in John three. Rick Olsen gave an exceptional talk on this subject at this latest Dallas conference.
Please take the time to listen to both of those talks as well as Steve Crook's talk on Godly Love. Who displays Godly Love? Is it those who tolerate their brothers heresies, or is it those who " Bring their Father their brothers evil report?" Christ made the answer to that question super clear:
Joseph placed unity with His Father above unity with His brothers, "Abraham's seed." That is the trial we all live out for we will, at our appointed time be both Joseph's brothers, and then with the mercy and grace of God, we will one day be Joseph, and be willing to be separated from and hated by our own spiritual brothers.
That is the essence of the two begettals of which Christ told Nicodemus, in John three. Rick Olsen gave an exceptional talk on this subject at this latest Dallas conference.
Please take the time to listen to both of those talks as well as Steve Crook's talk on Godly Love. Who displays Godly Love? Is it those who tolerate their brothers heresies, or is it those who " Bring their Father their brothers evil report?" Christ made the answer to that question super clear:
Mat 10:34 Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword.
Mat 10:35 For I am come to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter in law against her mother in law.
Mat 10:36 And a man's foes shall be they of his own household.
Mat 10:37 He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.
Mat 10:38 And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me.
Mat 10:39 He that findeth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it.
Ours is a lonely calling and that is why, earlier in this same chapter, we are told that it is only those who "endure to the end" who will be saved.
Mat 10:22 And ye shall be hated of all men for my name's sake: but he that endureth to the end shall be saved.
Every time we ignore "our brothers evil report ," and place unity ahead of The Truth, we are denying Christ, and this is what the very next verse deal with the fact that those who side with Christ and His Word, are His Christ:
Mat 10:40 He that receiveth you receiveth me, and he that receiveth me receiveth him that sent me.
Continue to put the Word of God above the doctrines of our ten brothers who are Abraham's seed, and you will not be denying Christ. Christ's Words really are the Truth. Let Him be true and every man a liar.
Your brother in "the Christ,"Rom 3:4 God forbid: yea, let God be true, but every man a liar; as it is written, That thou mightest be justified in thy sayings, and mightest overcome when thou art judged.
Mike