Dear Partners In Ministry,
Four Things Came Together In Our Eighth Year Here
2003 was a year that brought several things together for
us as our "year of new beginnings" here at our mission's
headquarters. As most of you know, we never do things on credit
and only move ahead as God provides the resources. We believe
this is how God would have us function. It is not very popular
in this "instant gratification" generation to have
to wait on the Lord this way but popularity is not what apologetics
ministry is all about in the first place. Exposing evil in
false religion and society at large is about as popular now
as it was in Jeremiah's day! In Bible College I asked God
what my ministry would be and the Lord showed me Ezekiel's
call (see Ezekiel 3:6) which was to his own people. He was
also told they wouldn't listen! Human nature is a constant,
just read Romans!
How Four Things Came
Together Last Year!
They were: 1.) The Auditorium 2.) The Parking Lot 3.) Radio
Program On Internet and 4.) A Guest Speaker Apartment. Apart
from us there was also a beautiful hotel built nearby! After
years of work these things came together.
#1.) The Auditorium: 2003 saw the first time the auditorium
was ready to host a prominent speaker. On March 7th, biblical
explorer and author Bob Cornuke spoke to a standing room only
crowd. This was made possible by the previous month's installation
of two new furnaces and years of remodeling preparation which
included new plumbing, concrete foundation work and ceiling
restoration which necessitated 24 gallons of paint! A new
porch (74 feet by eight feet) was also part of the mix. Several
of you personally made this happen! The Cornuke event saw
the hand of God at work. The ground froze four feet down (which
we were told happens once every twenty years) allowing cars
to park in the front yard. Then the largest snowfall that
year occurred the day before allowing the plow to use the
snow to fill in the gaps and make a lovely "parking lot"
which seemed to appear out of nowhere! One man remarked that
it seemed miraculous that it was there as he had wondered
aloud that night where people would park. We had to stay up
all night thawing pipes but it was worth it as four people
accepted Christ at that event!
#2.) The Parking Lot: We were given a donation that allowed
us to hire Fischer Excavation to come in and create a 50 car
parking lot where the one made out of snow and frost once
stood. This was finished in June of 2003 and was promptly
paid for in full at that time.
#3.) The Internet Radio Show: Shortly after my mother Theda's
death, a wonderful brother in Christ approached us with an
offer to put our radio program on his website: themediaplace.net.
Marshal Nelson, the inventor of metallic paint for fancy cars
and the wooden veneer on appliances, has put together a Christian
website that features a "click and immediately listen"
approach to Christian radio. This means no download "buffer"
time to hear our program. It is still in its early stages
but he has put in four servers in four states which guarantees
it will always be available on the Internet. Eventually we
hope to feature speaker's books and interviews with the authors
on this site right along with their presentations in our auditorium.
#4.) The Apartment And Hotel: My Mom lived to see the parking
lot go in but didn't make it through the end of July. She
died of a heart condition on July 20th, 2003, at 82 1/2 years
of age. With her passing, the apartment she had been living
in, to which she had donated ten thousand dollars towards
its construction, became available as a guest suite for those
authors and speakers we hope to have in the auditorium. This
is what she wanted it to be used for if she ever was gone,
that is unless we or the children would have need of it. We
are currently planning to use it for future guest ministers.
In order to hold Friday/Saturday seminars with nationally
known authors, like we have on our radio program, there had
to be a reliable and presentable motel/hotel to refer attendees
to that would be nearby the auditorium. This was something
beyond our ability to provide. It obviously was not beyond
the Lord's ability though! The same summer that saw the parking
lot go in also saw a brand new beautiful "Country Inn
and Suites" open just four miles away from us on the
main road of Rte. 20! One Christian doctor, whose business
is right across the street from the hotel, just said to me
yesterday: "That hotel must be there for you, because
otherwise I don't know why it's there!" It is really
amazing!
PLEASE PRAY FOR THIS:
Now comes the difficult part. We need speakers to speak here
though we hope to also offer seminars ourselves. This means
we must provide an incentive for others to come here and speak.
Marshall Nelson has said he would give them a reproducible
page on his website that would include their "bios"
and book purchasing information.We could then ask the publishers
to provide them with air travel to come here. They would guest
on the radio show to "kick off" their book tour,
and their talk in the auditorium would also be put on the
website.
There are authors who insist on an honorarium to speak. The
usual, I am told by author Dr. Robert Morey, is around $500.00
per talk. He said he wouldn't charge us that since we are
friends but would need us to cover his travel. If we did this
every week or even bi-monthly the cost would be substantial
and would necessitate Christians with means to underwrite
it. Please pray that God would give us guidance on this final
aspect of this vision of outreach.
We are currently meeting here on a weekly basis with other
evangelicals in the area for prayer and discussion. They inform
us that this area is in sore need of evangelism and spiritual
life. There are just a handful of brothers and sisters here.
Though our mission isn't just to the local area of our headquarters,
it is certainly a mission field we want to engage!
UPDATE: OUR DAUGHTER KATIE
Thank you for praying for our "Katie Doll." She
is five and a half now and will be considered cured of cancer
when she turns 8 years old. Until then she is having check
ups. She has had so many that even now she sometimes still
forgets herself and asks for "a cheeseburger with "CHECK-UP
(ketchup) ONLY."
She went in for her annual cat-scan early in July with good
results!. We couldn't afford this if it wasn't for the kindness
of one of her very Christian doctors who attended her during
her surgery! Please pray an extra special blessing on this
man as he is facing health difficulties involving his heart.
Pray that God would intervene in a miraculous way and heal
the difficulty he is facing.
Katie's last check up showed her to be growing like a weed
and very healthy to all outward appearances. Please pray that
she remains strong and vibrant as she matures.
Corresponding Cultist!
Please pray for the salvation of a cultist named Bruce, who
continues to send us notes in the regular post. He doesn't
think we are right with the Lord as we don't subscribe to
Christian Identity theology. This particularly pernicious
form of cultism combines an alleged love of the Bible with
horrible anti-semitism. Bruce listens to our radio program.
He writes his criticisms.
CHRISTIANS & DEMONS!
There seems to be a lot of confusion at large about the role
demons are able to play in Christians' lives. We have had
several calls regarding this.Books have been written on this
and I have a number of them. Some people are convinced that
they can have a demon even if they are a born again believer.
Jesus said, "How can one enter into the house of the
strong man, and spoil his goods, except he first bind the
strong man? and then he will spoil his house" (Mt 12:29).
Whose house is the body of the believer?
The Apostle Paul says the body of the Christian is God's
temple. "Know ye not that ye are a temple of God, and
that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?"(1Co 3:16) If
the body is a house (in Hebrew "house" and "temple"
are the same word) of God's then who is the "strong man"
dwelling in our house? The answer is simple and that is: God
Himself! Who is stronger than God? I ask that rhetorically
of course. The answer is no one! This is including the demons.
Believers have authority over the powers of darkness which
have been defeated.There are numerous Scriptures to that effect.
"For our wrestling is not against flesh and blood, but
against the principalities, against the powers, against the
world-rulers of this darkness, against the spiritual hosts
of wickedness in the heavenly places. (Ephesians 6:12) "having
despoiled the principalities and the powers, he made a show
of them openly, triumphing over them in it"(Col. 2:15).
"Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors
through him that loved us" (Rom 8:37). "and raised
us up with him, and made us to sit with him in the heavenly
places, in Christ Jesus" (Eph. 2:6).
What does this matter you may ask? It matters plenty when
you are trying to deal with the real spiritual problems of
an individual. Paul, in Romans 7, said that in his old self
"dwelt no good thing." That is total darkness. Sounds
a lot like a demon's character doesn't it? "The heart
is deceitful above all things, and it is exceedingly corrupt:
who can know it?" (Jer 17:9) Proverbs 4:23 tells us to
"Keep thy heart with all diligence; For out of it are
the issues of life" When you are born again does God
give you a new heart? Yes! When he spoke of this prophetically
He said "A new heart also will I give you, and a new
spirit will I put within you; and I will take away the stony
heart out of your flesh, and I will give you a heart of flesh"
(Ez.36:2). Do you think God is going to give you a new heart
that wants to "sin once in a while?" Absolutely
NOT! "Wherefore if any man is in Christ, he is a new
creature: the old things are passed away; behold, they are
become new." (2Cor. 5:17)
In commenting on this new you, the Apostle John says, "Whosoever
is begotten of God doeth no sin, because his seed abideth
in him: and he cannot sin, because he is begotten of God."
(1John 3:9) You say, "Then where does sin come from in
my life?" Paul tells us using his own struggles to do
so when he says: "So now it is no more I that do it,
but sin which dwelleth in me" (Rom. 7:17).
Does this mean we can't help but sin? God Forbid! "But
I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the
desire of the flesh." (Gal.5:16) If we are filled with
the Holy Spirit, we will consider or reckon our old man dead
or crucified. If we continually try the "quick fix"
of casting out our old nature, we will be striving in vain
because it is to be considered dead not to be "cast out."
Our fast food culture loves the "quick fix" and
"instant gratification." This doesn't apply to the
Christian life as there will always be a struggle within until
we go to be with Jesus or He comes for us. Do I believe that
there are really demon-possessed individuals who can be freed
instantaneously from their captors? YES! Unsaved man can have
instant deliverance from the added burden of demonic entities
in him. I believe this usually happens when the gospel is
shared with an unregenerate man and he then is regenerated
(born from above) by the Holy Spirit of God. When Christ comes
in, the demons flee.
Another precaution to take about dealing with the demonic
is that you have to know your enemy. He usually works through
lies. 2Co 2:11 says, "that we might not have Satan get
an advantage against us, for we are not ignorant of *his*
thoughts. Jesus said: "Ye are of your father the devil,
and the lusts of your father it is your will to do. He was
a murderer from the beginning, and standeth not in the truth,
because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie,
he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father thereof"
(Jn. 8:44). The Apostle Paul added: "But the Spirit saith
expressly, that in later times some shall fall away from the
faith, giving heed to seducing spirits and doctrines of demons"
(1Ti. 4:1).
Beware of those who don't take the enemy seriously enough,
but rather disparage the evil archangel by denigrating remarks
that make Satan seem almost cartoonish. I cringe when I hear
some, perhaps well meaning but overly excited, preacher talk
about "stomping on ol' Slewfoot!" The Archangel
Michael had a very different and more serious approach to
conflict with Satan. "But Michael the archangel, when
he disputed with the devil and argued about the body of Moses,
did not dare pronounce against him a railing judgment, but
said, 'The Lord rebuke you!'" (Jude 1:9). Peter says
in his second epistle that there would be men who are "self-willed,
they do not tremble when they revile angelic majesties."
This is also mentioned by Peter in 2Pe 2:10.
But someone will say, "I know of someone who was definitely
born again who had a demon! I would say: "Hmmm . . .
Really? Just how do you know such a thing?" They may
reply with all kinds of experiential evidence about the person's
life. They may say, "I saw him get saved and he started
talking and ministering very righteously." I would answer
with this scripture: " No wonder, for even Satan disguises
himself as an angel of light. Therefore it is not surprising
if his servants also disguise themselves as servants of righteousness,
whose end will be according to their deeds" (2Co 11:14,15).
One has to establish to which "Jesus" the person
is claiming to be related? There can be 'another Jesus, another
spirit and another gospel"according to 2 Corinthians
chapter 11. One has to be related to the biblical Jesus to
have victory over demons as the seven sons of a Jewish leader
named Sceva found out in Acts19:13-16. They used Jesus' name
as a magic word and it didn't work.
Someone may object and tell me that their acquaintance who
is now demon inhabited once did mighty spiritual works in
the name of Jesus and had a great "testimony." I
again would answer with Scripture: "Not everyone who
says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven,
but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will
enter. "Many will say to Me on that day, 'Lord, Lord,
did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out
demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?' "And
then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; DEPART FROM
ME, YOU WHO PRACTICE LAWLESSNESS.' (Matt. 21-23) These folks
were self deceived and did some pretty public and showy things
in the name of Jesus or Yeshua. They didn't just live a quiet
moral life like many false religionists do, but did things
in a very showy way. This passage is the scariest passage
in the New Testament and should drive all of us on our knees,
throwing ourselves on the mercy and grace of the Lord that
we be not self-deceived.
Before I leave you with great consternation and doubt about
your salvation, let me ask you a pertinent question: Do you
worry about your relationship to Ronald McDonald or Bozo the
Clown? I would think you don't because we all pretty much
consider them and clowns in general (with the possible exception
of rodeo clowns who save lives with their antics) to be pretty
foolish. You don't give old Ronald much thought at all but
you do give your relationship to Jesus a lot of thought, don't
you? Why one and not the other? Isn't it because you think
things pertaining to clowns are foolish and not so the things
pertaining to the Son of God?
The Apostle Paul tells us, "For the word of the cross
is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us who are saved
it is the power of God." (1Cor. 1:18) If you were perishing,
you wouldn't give the cross of Christ a second thought because
it would be on a par with the clowns in your mind, and you
surely wouldn't lose any sleep over your relationship to Jesus
through His cross.
If someone thinks he has a relationship with Him through
his proud works and not the cross -he doesn't! He is quite
deceived. He could, however, still be very religious.
Finally, though we are told in Philippians 3:17 to follow
the Apostle Paul's example in specific and commanded "to
join with others" who are doing so, many evangelical
people are still carnal or immature enough to balk at obeying
this out of cowardice or just laziness in the face of our
pagan culture. Paul's example can be seen in action throughout
the 17th chapter of Acts. His zeal and clear teaching about
what we are to be about in following him is summed up in the
following letter he sent to the Philippian church: "We
demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up
against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought
to make it obedient to Christ." I pray that you and I
remain faithful to the sometimes daunting task of speaking
the truth in love, without being compromising "men pleasers"
just for the sake of being popular. God will reward all of
us in His own time for this. God Bless you!
Mount Carmel Outreach
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Apologetics are
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Make your checks out to:
The Institute For Christian Apologetics
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