SHOULDER TO SHOULDER #103 ---- 1/3/00
Posted by: lifeunlimited <lifeunlimited@...>
As We fight The Good Fight
SHOULDER TO SHOULDER #103 ---- 1/3/00
TITLE: "A New Day For A New Era"
My Dear Companion in Service:
The "Day of Doom" has come! ---- and gone! ---- with no apparent
catastrophic consequences. The Y2K Bug apparently lost its bite. Now I
can delete all those "end of the world" and "the sky is falling!"
articles from my computer files.
I've tried to imagine what went on in God's mind as He watched His little
creatures scurry around getting ready, and then celebrating something
that was most likely a "non-thing" ---- a "nothing" ---- in His eyes.
Nothing in recent days has grieved me so much as seeing such a multitude
of preachers and others who, quite frankly, appear at least on the
surface to have taken advantage of a man-made and totally unnecessary
oversight in a computer program, and have turned it into an opportunity
for their own fame and gain ---- and have again made a laughing stock of
the Church and the Gospel message by making oratorical gestures and
prophetic claims built more on sensationalistic opinion that on rock
solid Biblical truth. No wonder the world won't listen to us anymore.
I am reminded of I Corinthians 14:8 when Paul, in dealing with
appropriate uses of spiritual gifts, asks what the value is of a trumpet
if it gives off an "uncertain" sound ---- an indistinct sound ---- in
other words, a sound that cannot be clearly distinguished and understood.
When we mix fact with opinion, we give off a disqualifying indistinct
sound. When we say less than the Bible says, we give off a disqualifying
indistinct sound. When we say *More* than the Bible says, we clearly
give off a disqualifying indistinct sound. Now that it's over, we are
left with the job of trying to pick up the pieces. Better yet, let's
just let them lie there and get back to the real message of the Gospel
---- Jesus came to seek and save the lost.
If we could have seen God in His heavens early Saturday morning, I think
we'd have seen Him with a mixture of responses, but none like ours.
I think, first of all, He'd probably have laughed in amusement and then
let it cascade into an uncontrolled hilarious roar as He watched the
absurdity of all man's arrogant and "ex cathedra" prognostications. I
can see Him lean over to Gabriel and ask, "Where in the world did that
guy come up with such an idea?"
I suspect, then, that He might have settled back with a giant bored yawn
undergirded by Sovereign certainty, still operating on His own schedule,
and unphased by man's feeble attempts to choreograph something He didn't
create ---- a calendar ---- into some ridiculous eschatalogical gimmick
supposedly rocketing us toward Armageddon.
Then, I think we might have seen Him express a measure of indignant anger
over the fact that man still thinks he is God, and thinks that God is
just an imagination ---- and that this little pip-squeak of a creature
that was made in the likeness of God has forgotten that, to the Creator
of the Universe, a day is like a thousand years and a thousand years like
a day ---- and that January 1, 2000 was an invention of man rather than
God and, frankly, has no more to do with the future, the Second Coming,
or any other supernatural phenomenon than any other day..
Finally, I believe, if we could have looked closely, we'd have seen the
tears in His eyes as God watched that part of His creation for which He
gave His Son's life continue in their blindness when the Light has been
so near for so long. Perhaps His greatest sadness might have been
expressed over the continued ineptness and absence of vision, focus, and
power in the Church which He created to be the Bride and co-regent for
His Son.
If we could have had a conversation with Him, I think one of the first
questions He'd have asked is, "which calendar did you use? ---- Jewish?
---- Chinese? ---- Roman? ---- Islamic? They're all wrong, you know."
For the record, I do believe in the personal, emminent, soon return of
the Lord Jesus Christ. It's just that I feel it's far more important to
be faithful in the work while we're staying here than it is to try to
calculate when we're going to get out of here.
The Bible tells us to hasten the day of His coming by proclaiming the
Gospel, and, frankly, I sometimes think we who have the message delay His
coming instead, by simply being so preoccupied with secondary things that
we don't do the main thing of telling people about Him.
DID THE BUG BITE YOU?
All the "end of the world" trifle notwithstanding, there was indeed the
potential for major catastrophe, and we should never forget that. We
should be ever grateful for the man who discovered the glitch and warned
us of it in time to do something about it. And we should be grateful to
God for not allowing human blunders to create catastrophic consequences.
Just out of curiosity ---- since this letter goes to people on some 30
countries on six continents, I'd like to hear from anyone who had any
kind of problem caused by the Y2K matter.
Would you mind dropping me a note? I'd like to hear what happened ----
even if it was nothing more than your VCR not working or your dog
contracting a massive dose of fleas.
Let me know.
BEGINNING ANOTHER YEAR:
While I still cannot bring myself to say that 2000 is the beginning of
either a new century or a new millennium (that, according to my
understanding of math is still next year ---- and then only with the
Roman calendar), I do see it as a significant time in human history.
As such, it gives me indescribable satisfaction to know God has blessed
me with the opportunity of entering the third consecutive year of trying
to bring encouragement to folks like you who mean so much to me. Your
frequent notes of encouragement have validated that call on my life so
often when I felt like quitting.
Last week I received the following note, which blessed me so much. All
I could say was, "Lord, thank You for letting me be a Barnabas to
brothers and sisters."
"I want to send this letter to you thanking you so much for your Shoulder
To Shoulder letter. . . . I can't tell you how many times God has
taken me to the woodshed and challenged me through this letter.
"I have mixed emotions on Sunday nights. On one hand, I look forward to
Shoulder To Shoulder coming out and on the other hand I dread what God
might say to me. I think you know the feeling. I teach a 35-40 year old
married Sunday School class at (church) and have recommended your
newsletter to them. I want to let you know that I appreciate your
honesty and the fact that you tell life like it is."
A NEW DAY FOR A NEW ERA:
One of my favorite scripture passages is Joshua 3:4-5. Two phrases
especially grab for my attention:
"You have not passed this way before", and "Sanctify yourselves, for
tomorrow the Lord will do wonders among you." And, I see our transition
into the year 2000 as being similar to Israel's entry into the Promised
Land.
Yesterday was a very special day for me which illustrated my point. We
began the morning service by baptizing a new believer, a young high
school girl, and we ended it by commissioning and sending another young
woman off as a missionary to South Korea. The thought hit me ---- "What
an incredible example of what it's all about! ---- like two hallmarks of
the Gospel message ---- saving and sending.
As I shared with the church from that text, I noted five thoughts about
this "new day for a new era".
1. God is taking us a New Direction ---- "you have not passed this way
before". It is a direction that takes us away from the Old Ways which
must be Forsaken, and forces us to focus on coming New Ways to be
Foretold.
We must turn away from the ideas of Clinging to the Past, Complaining
about the Present, and Cringing back over the Prospects of the future,
and, instead, learn to live on the cutting edge where there is no turning
back, and where we must depend solely on God's inexhaustible resources.
2. God is requiring of us a New Dedication ---- "Consecrate/Sanctify
yourselves". As you know, those words indicate a dual action ----
separation and dedication. I have no doubt that God is going to require
more of us in both areas if we are to face the future in victorious
pursuit.
We must separate ourselves from the Clamoring of the world system, the
Cravings of sin, and the Clutches of the flesh, while we uncompromisingly
abandon ourselves fully and completely to the Savior's Lordship and
Service's Loyalty.
3. We are able to make such commitments because God has given us a New
Declaration ---- "tomorrow the Lord will do Wonders among you."
There is no Comparison to the Wonders of the Past, and we have no
Comprehension of the Wonders of the Future. The journey from Egypt to
the Exodus pales in contrast to that which lies ahead. We are facing the
most awesome prospects the Church has ever faced ---- both in terms of
persecution, of purification, and of empowering.
4. Such promise for the future requires that we give off a New
Demonstration ---- "take up the ark!" The ark, of course, represents the
person and Lordship of Jesus, our Captain. He is again throwing down the
gauntlet to the church and saying, "Follow Me!" Tragically, many are
still saying, "let me think about it."
Jesus is telling us we've had long enough to think about it. It's now
time to put up or shut up ---- it's time to take action, or take down
your sign that says you're one of His.
This demonstration is quite simple ---- "take up the ark". That's all
there is to it. He doesn't tell us to have all the end times figured
out, He doesn't tell us to get more training, He doesn't tell us to
develop a better "program". ---- He just says what He's always said, and
will continue to say until He returns ---- "Take Up The Ark!"
"It's not your buildings, ---- it's Me! It's not your training and your
education, ---- it's Me! It's not your denomination, ---- it's Me!
It's not about you, ---- it's about Me!"
1) The Ark must first be Perceived. For that to happen, He must
again be in the forefront ---- before us, where we can see Him, and only
Him. Instead of mixing Him into the cluster of our "crowd" trying to
have ownership over Him, get Him back out there in the front of the
parade where He can again have Lordship over Us!
2) Then the Ark must be Preferred. It is something to be desired
more than anything in life.
Almost all of us would say He is Preferred in our lives and ministry, but
often our very conversation and conduct prove it really isn't true. To
be sure, He is preferred over some things, but He is not always preferred
over all things. We certainly prefer Him over eternal separation from
God, but sometimes not over earthly status before others.
Our lives and ministries must clearly and unashamedly demonstrate that
Jesus is preferred over all else, but in many cases, neither our lives or
our ministries verify that reality. Our status, prestige, denominational
loyalty and rank, comfort, and pleasure, often come back to haunt us with
the real truth ---- we don't really Prefer Jesus over everything else in
life ---- or in death.
3) Finally, the Ark must be Pursued. It must be Followed. Where did
we ever come up with the idea that knowing, following, and serving Jesus
Christ is a static experience? It is fully dynamic, and requires action
on our part. The very word for faith includes the reality that it is
itself more a verb than a noun. It's not What I believe, but rather it's
Who I follow.
Until the world sees believers who are so starved for God that they will
go to any end and use any means to be in His presence where they receive
both Comfort and Command, it will never have an attraction to Him or a
desire to follow Him.
5. Such a "put your money where your mouth is" demonstration of taking
up the ark, brings us, finally, to a New Display of Commitment. If such
a declaration and demonstration are to be proven both valid and fruitful,
there must be the evidence. Israel's Commitment was both Visualized and
Finalized.
1) It was "Visualized" in that they created a visual Demonstration of
what they had been claiming. Their journey had begun with such a visual
demonstration of faith ---- blood on the door posts.
Some forty years later their journey ends and life begins when they
placed the pillar of stones of faith in the Jordan, and then sometime
later erected the pillar of stones of Praise at Gilgal. To this day
those symbols remind all of israel and the Christian world of God's
faithfulness to deliver. ---- His faithfulness to deliver from bondage
and sin, and His faithfulness to deliver the land into their hands.
2) Then, their commitment was Finalized when they took up the ark,
followed the priests, stepped into the water, ----and conquered the land.
It seems to me that somewhere in the process the Church has become
sidetracked in it's pursuit of the Captain of the Lord of Hosts into the
Land of Victory. May you and I, my friend, be people to help change the
trend in this new year of 2000 A.D. ---- the Year of Our Lord!
WHAT THE FUTURE HOLDS:
The Christian writer and theolog Richard Foster addressed the "Millennial
Madness" thing recently in his November Pastors' Letter. He said . . .
"At the end of the century ---- and as the millennium ---- approaches I
am often asked about the theological and spiritual significance of this
milestone. My answer is simple and straightforward: *absolutely
nothing*.
"The end of the millennium is a human calendar invention (and an
imperfect invention at that) and it has absolutely nothing to do with the
march of Holy History or the economy of God.
"So, please, for God's sake (and your own) simply ignore all the
hysterical . . . hype that is going on these days. And this includes the
Y2K issue. Y2K is merely a computer defect that will get worked out by
those who deal with such things; and whether it is worked out with ease
or difficulty is of little consequence to those whose lives are hid with
Christ in God.
"In fact, inordinate attention to these matters only distracts us from
the far more substantive issues of ongoing character formation into
Christ likeness and faithful obedience to Christ in the midst of a
society that is indifferent ---- even hostile ---- to Christian things."
Later in the letter Foster sees three dramatic shifts occurring in the
Twenty First Century.
1. "First, the church's privileged position in Western society will end.
The preferential treatment many have come to expect is fast disappearing
and we are being put to the margins of society. I expect this trend to
continue on many fronts, up to and including the removal of tax exempt
status for church properties in the U.S.
2. "Second, we are, most likely, in the beginning stage of a great
reformation . . . a reformation that will intensify throughout the next
century. This third reformation is focusing upon sanctification, to use
a theological term. It is taking with upmost seriousness how the soul
grows in grace. The love of Jesus is the magnet that is drawing people
together ---- a love that transforms the human personality by the power
of God.
3. "Third, the twenty-first century will witness one of the greatest
harvests of Christian mission ever. Much of the energy of this will
center outside the West.
"Africa, south of the Saraha, will become the Christian continent ----
that is if (and it is a big "if") they can successfully overcome the
triple threat of Muslim suppression, the AIDS epidemic and internal
tribal wars.
"The Americas south of the U. S. border will show the world how
evangelism is really done.
"Both Africa and Latin America will intensify and expand their
evangelistic efforts in the West.
"The really pivotal continent is Asia. Throughout the Twenty First
Century Asia will be the rising culture, no doubt about that. The real
question is whether the Christian witness is strong enough to ride the
rise of Asian culture, or whether Buddhism ---- which also is a
missionary religion ---- will win the day. I believe the Christian
witness is strong enough.
"Chinese Christians have suffered tremendously and are deeper and
stronger for it. They will teach the rest of us how to live for God.
Korea will teach the entire Christian world how to pray. And the signs
of spiritual vitality in the Philippines, Singapore, Malaysia, India,
and numerous other places are so encouraging that I believe the
Twenty First Century will be viewed as" the great century" of advance of
Christ and His kingdom. "
FINALLY:
Well! ---- I've read and heard lots of people address the future, but
none more succinctly and accurately in my opinion. I believe Foster's
comments really put things in proper perspective. Foster has much to
say to us which the Church of the Lord Jesus Christ should heed. May God
use his comments to stir up with you and me that "Apostolic Passion" to
which I referred in last week's letter.
Concerning Foster's comments about Asia and Africa, I believe both are
areas of crucial importance, especially with all the unbelievable
persecution and "religious cleansing" that is going on right now. I
recently received word that over 750 Christians have been killed this
past year in the outlying Molucca Islands of Indonesia, and that just
this past Monday the Silo Church, the largest protestant church in Ambon,
was destroyed and 39 members killed by a group of Muslims reinforced by
government military units. The Maranatha Church is also in great
danger, as over 1,000 "jihad fighters" have been transported by motor
boat to that island, easily passing through the naval forces placed there
to prevent such actions.
Please note two urgent prayer requests at the end of my letter, one of
which is a report I received Sunday afternoon. We are indeed in a New
Day entering a New Era, my friend. Be faithful ---- and passionate!
Have a great week, my friend ---- a great year. May it be absolutely the
most productive life-affecting year of your ministry.
In His Bond,
Bob Tolliver ---- (Rom 1:11-12)
Copyright January, 2000. All rights reserved.
< < < < < < <
SPECIAL PRAYER REQUESTS:
1. Elections Today in Croatia! My friend, Drazen Glavas sent me the
following request Sunday: "Dear friends, as many of you know, the last
few years in Croatia and in this region were not easy and many people
suffered a lot of pain, discouragement and loss of hope. Croatia will
vote VOTE tomorrow (Monday, January 3rd) for the new
Parliament, for the people that will lead the country in the next four
years. The ELECTION will greatly influence and impact the future of our
country and this region. PLEASE PRAY that the LORD OF LORDS and the
KING OF KINGS will give wisdom to the Croatian people in making the right
choices and wisdom to those who
will be elected!!!!
2. More Tragic Persecution in Indonesia! This report came to me Sunday
via the Fellowship of Evangelical Churches in Austria's Missions
Department. "Our Sister Seminary here in Jakarta Attacked by Mob. On
the night of Dec. 15, Doulos Seminary, a large seminary here in Jakarta
was completely destroyed by a Moslem mob of about 2000. The large
Doulos complex covered 3 hectares of land with classrooms, faculty
housing, dormitories, chapel and a resident treatment center for
substance abusers and the mentally ill.
"The mob was well armed with samurai swords, machetes, Molotov cocktails,
etc., clearly intent on doing as much bodily injury and property
destruction as possible in a short time. Students, faculty and patients
fled for their lives.
"TORTURE: One senior named Sariman was caught by the throng and
commanded to recant his faith in Christ or die. He chose not to recant.
Members of the mob forced his mouth so far open his face ripped nearly to
his ears but he stood firm to the end, choosing to die for his faith.
Yesterday, after church, eye witnesses showed us a grizzly photograph of
what was left of his lifeless face and body. (I'm crying as I write
this) - Hebrews 11 tells us of Christians tortured to death because of
their faith. It says "The world was not worthy of them."
"ATTEMPTED DECAPITATION: We saw photographs of buildings engulfed in
flames and another student they had attempted to decapitate but he
miraculously still lives, fighting for his life in a local hospital. 17
others were also seriously injured, including Rev. Zacharia, the head of
the seminary.
"FLEEING IN THE NIGHT: Our close colleague, named Miss Diah was on duty
that night, handling the crisis counseling hotline ministry, based on the
Doulos campus. She managed to flee the mob as they attacked, hiding in
the dark in a nearby swamp. . . She survived the night and escaped.
< < < < < <
We would love to hear from you ---- prayer requests, insights, etc. Feel
free to drop us a note at <[email protected]>.
If this letter has blessed you and you know of someone else who needs to
be encouraged, feel free to forward it in its entirety to all such people
you know.
If you would like a list of past issues which you could receive upon
request, just let us know. Write <[email protected]>.
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Hang in there! I'm with you!
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