THE WILDERNESS

Date: 99-10-18 23:36:24 EDT


In a message dated 99-10-18 22:08:26 EDT, you write:

<< I feel that my talent is being wasted;
I also feel deeply insulted, but I will survive that. >>

Hey! Join the crowd! If you are REALLY wanting to follow the Lord, you will be driven to the wilderness-- to suffer isolation and rejection-- but good.

I want to quote to you some excerpts from a long article I received last summer from a friend of mine on the East Coast. The Sub Heading is: (begin quote) SIGNIFICANCE OF THE WILDERNESS Today, we personally know a number of mature ministries who are all in the wilderness. They have been tried by fire, tried through much suffering in a variety of forms, tried by a lack of (human) fellowship that is common to the temple. But they have been counted worthy by the Lord to suffer in His Name. They have found that the Lord Himself is sufficient for all their needs. They have been chosen as a tenth of a tenth of believers. Many are called but few chosen. It depends upon our response to God.

"And He shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver: and He shall purify the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer unto the Lord an offering in righteousness )Mal 3:3)"

The New American Standard says "the crucible is for silver". We are being tried in a crucible, in the wilderness. Certainly the Lord is waiting to provide for all of our needs in the wilderness: food (manna), water (Moses struck the rock), money (Matt 17:27), healing, guidance, protection, and on and on. Lord, increase our faith!

Consider the example of Jesus. In Mat 4:1, "Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil." The wilderness is God's proving ground. Notice, please, that Jesus was led by the SPIRIT into the wilderness. So it is also with all of you faithful believers who are suffering in the wilderness. You have been led into your place of suffering by the Holy Spirit. Now when we are in the wilderness, our response to God leading us there is critical. We can murmur and complain and just die in the wilderness, as did all of the Israelites (except two) when they came out of Egypt. Or we can patiently endure, just waiting for relief. Or we can be OVERCOMERS. Only YOU can make that choice. It is YOUR decision. When we look at the response of Jesus in Mat 4, it is abundantly clear that Jesus was the prime overcomer. What happened as a result? Well, Jesus began to preach, and to say, "repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand." "Matt 4:7); and in Matt 4:23, "And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all manner of sickness and all manner of disease among the people." So it shall be with YOU as an overcomer. WHEN THE LORD BLOWS THE TRUMPET, THERE WILL BE A NEW RELEASE OF A HEALING MINISTRY. THIS HEALING MINISTRY WILL *NOT* BE LIKE WHAT WE HAVE SEEN TO DATE. IT WILL BE A COMPLETE HEALING OF BODY, SOUL, AND SPIRIT." That is a topic of another word. We will not go into that further here. In addition, the message to be preached is the gospel of the KINGDOM." (end of quote)

Next-- the writer likens the present workings of the Lord to the experience of Gideon. (again quoting) The breaking of the pitchers so that their lamps would INSTANTLY be seen represents the manifestation of the sons of God. One possible translation of the manifestation of the sons of God, in Rom 8, is the UNVEILING of the sons of God. The word translated manifestation is "apokalupsis" and is the same word that is translated "revelation" in Rev. 1:1...... God has been doing a hidden work in the tenth of a tenth. The lamps are in the process of being prepared. And when the trumpets sound, the unveiling will occur, and the pitchers will be instantly shattered so that the lamps of God can be unveiled.

"Behold, I will send my messenger, and He shall prepare the way before me: and the Lord, whom ye seek, shall SUDDENLY come to His Temple, even the messenger of the covenant, whom ye delight in: behold, He shall come, saith the Lord of hosts. Mal 3:1 (end of quote) Further, the writer declares: (begin quote) THE STATE OF THE CHURCH....

Certainly there are many diverse voices today, not only in the world, but in Christianity as well. Each voice declares something slightly different.

There are, it may be, so many kinds of voices in the world, and none of them is without signification. 1Cor 14:10

Just as Paul admonishes the church at Corinth, this multitude of different voices is causing confusion and uncertainty in the church. We see disunity, strife, bitterness, sin, carnality, and division. And we have seen, in our own lifetime, a parade of false tangents such that literally thousands of believers have been "tossed to and fro, carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive." Eph 4:13 This parade of false teachings include Submission, Discipleship, Faith, The Apostles and Prophets "movement",... and on and on. It seems like God's people have no more discernment than Nineveh..... The reason that all of these false teachings have so much appeal is that they all have an element of truth in them. There IS such a thing as submission, there IS such a thing as discipleship, there IS such a thing as faith, there ARE such ministries as apostles and prophets. But these movements all appeal to carnal self, and have not been led by the Spirit. They all represent man's approach to the things of God..... But all such attempts thus far are man's attempt to bring UNION, the very word used by the Washington Post article (Aug 20, 1999) It is a work of the flesh... a repeat of the tower of Babel recorded in Gen 11. (end quote)
Hang in there, brother. There are multitudes of folks who have been shoved to the side lines by those in authority in the churches. But GOD KNOWS WHAT HE IS DOING. He knows exactly where you are, and why. Submit to His dealings, and above all KEEP THE VICTORY IN YOUR OWN HEART.

God Bless! fretwell