SHOULDER TO SHOULDER #25e -- 7/9/98 'DO IT!"
Posted by: lifeunlimited <lifeunlimited@...>
Standing Shoulder To Shoulder in the Trenches,
Encouraging One Another as we "Fight the Good Fight"
TITLE: Independence Day ---- A Day For Rejoicing or For Repentance?
Part Five (final part), A special issue continuing from 7/5/98.
Dear Friend:
Again, I thank those of you who have encouraged me in this bigger than
usual project of a daily letter for this special occasion of our nation's
222nd anniversary celebration. This is the final one. Sunday I will be
back to the regular weekly schedule.
A PERSONAL TESTIMONY:
James Reed is an evangelist who lives in the Dallas/Fort Worth area in
Texas. He began receiving my weekly "encourager" letters probably a
month or so ago. We don't know each other personally.
However, Monday he sent the following letter in response to my Sunday
night letter. When I read his comments, I was so struck by them ---- and
didn't really know why. All I know is that I was blessed; and God began
pointing out some pertinent and profound statements to me that I felt
spoke to things we sometimes struggle with in trying to minister the
Gospel of Jesus Christ is a nation that is drifting further and further
away from its founding Judeo-Christian principles of life.
I guess one of the reasons I was impressed was because I felt I was
hearing from a man who has prayed and clawed his way through many things
that most of us allow to discourage us or intimidate us into backing away
from what God is calling us to do.
Read carefully what James has to say. I have taken some "editorial
liberties", but have not changed the thought or basic wording. James has
given me his permission to share his letter with you.
On Mon, 6 Jul 1998 10:02:57 -0500 "jd_reed" <[email protected]>
writes:
"For ten years I have been going into public schools on drug and alcohol
abuse programs. God promised me that if I would share the gospel in every
mandatory assembly, He would keep the doors open.
"I've done as many as one hundred schools in a year and have never failed
to share the gospel and only on a few occasions has anyone been
disappointed in the assemblies. I always discuss the gospel content with
the principals before the assembly. The majority of people allowing me in
are not Christian, but are desperate and caring.
"The A.C.L.U. has visited my assemblies, but have thus far been kept by
the Lord from interfering.
"So many times it is very difficult or impossible to raise interest from
the local churches to be involved. I usually can't even get the youth
pastors to visit the assemblies that their own church children are
involved in. I hear plenty of sermons about how bad the youth and the
schools are, but few willing to get involved . I have principal
recommendations from twenty-five states, so it can't be that I don't have
the credibility.
"I think sometimes it is easier to say we can't do something, because
then we are not obligated to go and do it.
"Schools in many states are asking for Christian ministries to come in,
but most Christian ministries are afraid to risk litigation to share the
gospel.
"What litigation? We can't be sued for sharing our faith when we have
been invited by the school administration. I believe we will all begin
to wake up to the opportunities that are open to us in these desperate
times.
Rev. James Reed
James Reed Evangelistic Association"
SOME PROBING THOUGHTS:
As I said earlier, so many thoughts raced through my mind when I read
James' letter. The first thought that crossed my mind was that great
promise out of Isaiah that says, "When the enemy comes in like a flood,
the Spirit of the Lord will raise up a standard against Him." (Isa
59:19)
My friend! How many believers in America over the past 100 years have
forgotten that ---- and we are suffering the consequences ----
nationally!
What God has promised, He will do ---- IF we obey. That's why I've
entitled this letter ---- "DO IT!".
Now read again James' first statement:
1. "For ten years I have been going into public schools on drug and
alcohol abuse programs. God promised me that if I would share the gospel
in every mandatory assembly, He would keep the doors open."
1) God PROMISED ME!
A. "All the promises of God in Him are 'Yea!' and "Amen!' to the
glory of the Father." (II Cor 1:20).
B. "By these great and precious promises, we might become partakers
of His Divine Nature." (II Peter 1:4).
For James, God's promise was to keep the doors open.
2) IF . . .
Often our failures ---- or absence of successes ---- are simply because
of disobedience on our part. I wonder just how many acts of disobedience
took place among believers over that last 100 years that paved the way,
brick by brick, for the onslaught of secular humanism into the mainstream
of our society.
I like what James said: "if I would share the gospel in EVERY mandatory
assembly". That was the criteria.
Obedience is always the criteria.
2. "For ten years I have been going . . ."
"I've done as many as one hundred schools in a year and have never failed
to share the gospel and only on a few occasions has anyone been
disappointed in the assemblies."
Why do you think that is? I don't know the exact number of assemblies,
but I would say several hundred. How could he find favor with so many
school principals, and also with the thousands of students and teachers?
That spoke to me of II Chron 26:5 ---- "As long as he sought the Lord,
God caused him to prosper."
One reason we neither prosper nor expect to in regards to our nation is
because we don't seek the Lord. My friend, to be absolutely honest, very
few of us genuinely seek the Lord pertaining to our ministry. We seek
the wisdom, counsel, and approval of others, but seldom the Lord's.
We may Think we seek the Lord, but even in Those times, we're not really
seeking Him; we're seeking His approval, His permission, His
acquiescence, or His direction ---- but seldom do we seek just Him.
So, why should we be surprised, then, when we pay more attention to the
voice of the enemy than the voice of our Captain?
It's no wonder we've been intimidated by the voice of the enemy! We're
so familiar with his voice that we know what he's going to say before he
says it. "You can't do that!" "Sorry, that violates someone's human
rights!" "I beg your pardon, but that violates the First Amendment
Rights!" "Excuse me, but you can't carry your Bible to class; it's
school policy!"
Wake up, my friends!
1) As LONG as . . . .
2) You Seek THE LORD . . . .
3) HE . . . .
4) Will CAUSE . . . .
5) YOU . . .
6) To PROSPER!
Even this late in the game for our nation!
3. "I always discuss the gospel content with the principals before the
assembly. The majority of people allowing me in are not Christian but
desperate and caring ."
That spoke to me about the open doors that are genuinely before us if we
would simply ignore the intimidations of the "roaring lion" and go
through the doors God has opened for us. It is time for courage and not
cowardice.
I love that passage in I Pet 5:8: "Be sober, be vigilant, for your
adversary the devil, roams about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may
devour."
Why? Because it tells me what I should do? ---- "be of sober spirit, be
on the alert"?
Frankly, no.
Rather, because it tells me something about my enemy.
1) First, he is my adversary ---- my enemy.
Mine!
Therefore, I must treat him so. I have no right to treat him
flippantly, and I especially have absolutely NO right to Fraternize with
him, and, of all things, I definitely have NO right to let him get away
with his antics! ---- especially when it comes to my family, my ministry,
and my nation! ---- AND THE LOST!
2) Second, his roar is bigger than his bite. How do I know that?
---- Because of the Greek word for lion. I have been told it is a word
that describes an old lion, beyond his prime, and without his teeth! All
he has left is his roar.
The tactics of a pride of lions were for the young lions to scatter out
through the brush and be quiet, waiting in ambush, while the old
toothless lion would come out with his best, and Only, weapon; ---- his
R-O-A-R. When the innocent would hear the roar, they would run FROM
it, and into the waiting jaws of the young lions.
Friends, do you see that this is what has been happening in our nation
for nearly 100 years?
When the ACLU or Norman Mahler, or Ted Turner, or People for the American
Way, or some other godless and humanistic organization or individual lets
the word out, the enemy Roars ---- and we go running!!!
Right into the enemy's gaping jaws that lock onto us with threats,
intimidations, scare tactics, law suits, and the like. So, because we
have not recognized the tactics, we decide to abandon the territory where
the pride of lions roams ---- and in doing so, we leave the helpless
victims to the continued onslaught.
We have abandoned our schools, our media, our governing processes, our
poor, our homeless, our widows, our orphans, our prisoners, our poverty
areas, our sports arenas, ad infinitum.
Do you disagree? Some will.
Don't you understand ---- the enemy can take only that ground that is
given him???
If we refuse to give it to him, ---- he can't take it!!!
Oh, my friends! My heart aches when I think of the hundreds ---- yes
thousands, even tens of thousands ---- who have fallen victim to the jaws
of secular humanism and sensual debauchery simply because believers ran
FROM the roar, not knowing they were headed in the wrong direction.
Whatever your feelings are regarding Tammy Faye, I can tell you one thing
---- a number of years ago she wrote a book that had a GREAT title ----
"Run To The Roar!" I have no idea what is inside the covers, but the
title is POWERFUL!
Come on, my friend; it's time to RUN TO THE ROAR!
4. "Desperate and caring." Sometimes we treat people who are in
difficult circumstances like the teaching profession as if they are
second class citizens ---- or even traitors.
Friend, these folks don't need your adversarial approach ---- they need
your support, your encouragement, your understanding ---- your offers to
help! Meet them where they are; tell them what you can do. Tell them
what you can Not do. Become a servant to them. Make yourself available
to them. Volunteer. Get on the school board, the PTA, and other support
organizations.
I know of no other profession at this time that can be filled with more
frustration and desperation than the teaching profession in the
educational system of our nation.
The system has been so corrupted and perverted by a handful of humanists
with the lions roar, that we have run away and left hundreds of thousands
of caring, loving, committed, but extremely frustrated teachers, board
members, and administrators, fighting a losing battle for what is right
---- simply because believers in particular heard the sound of the roar,
got scared, didn't take time to fully understand their rights and those
of the students and teachers, and basically wrote the educational system
off as a lost cause and a mortal enemy. ---- And our teachers often feel
accused of treason ---- and alone and abandoned!
Shades of McCarthy!
5. "So many times it is very difficult or impossible to raise interest
from the local churches to be involved. I usually can't even get the
youth pastors to visit the assemblies that their own church children are
involved in. I hear plenty of sermons about how bad the youth and the
schools are, but few willing to get involved."
What a sad, sad indictment! Why would a local church NOT want to support
a ministry such as this? Why, of all people, would youth pastors NOT
want to be involved?
Is it because it wasn't "their" idea? Is it because it's not something
"their" church is in charge of? Is it possible that it is, of all
things, actually a "control" issue?
Or could it be an issue of fear? Not willing to be counted? Could we
have spent too much time around the Roman campfire in the courtyard, and
now it's time to deny Him?
Friend, if you're not going to be part of the solution, quit wasting your
time pointing out the problem! Everyone already knows the problem ----
they're looking for people with the solution.
You have it! Let them know!
6. "I think sometimes it is easier to say we can't do something, because
then we are not obligated to go and do it."
What a saddening statement! Reminds me of a parable:
"I'm sorry, I can't come. I have to go prove a team of horses."
"Me, too; I'm sorry; can't make it. Gotta go bury my father."
"I'd really love to be there, but I just got married, and I certainly
can't come."
Just in case you have forgotten ---- God is a "no excuses" God. And,
when you come up with some lame excuse for not getting involved in trying
to turn our nation back to God, or in trying to reach the people in your
community for Christ, God just snickers and gives you the "Raspberry".
C'mon! Get off it!
C'mon! Let's do it!
7. "Schools in many states are asking for "Christian" ministries to come
in but Most Christian ministries are afraid to risk litigation to share
the gospel.
"What litigation? We can't be sued for sharing our faith when we have
been invited by the school administration."
The spirit of Fear appears huge in the minds of many believers who have
been intimidated and have swallowed the lies. I wonder if we really
fully understand just how many blessings and miracles we have missed
because of fear. Or maybe complacency? Or perhaps slothfulness? Or
even a lack of closeness with the Master?
IN CONCLUSION:
My friend, I cannot tell you how God has touched my own heart as I have
read again James' letter. It was so profound. So timely. Thank you,
James, for hearing God and sharing it with all of us.
Brother and sister, we are living in such precarious times. The
direction our nation is going into a pit of darkness is unimaginable. It
seems unstoppable ---- and it may be.
But, I can tell you this ---- I'd rather go down fighting than to go down
without a whimper.
Here is my philosophy: Pray as if it is all God. Work as if it is all
you.
Fervent, tireless, driven, purposeful, fanatical work is the order of the
day ---- while it is yet day.
Believing, passionate, alter-shaking, importunate praying is the order of
the night ---- before it is night.
Do it! Do it! Do it!
In Christ's Bond,
Bob Tolliver
Copyright July, 1998. All rights reserved.
Life Unlimited Ministries
[email protected]
Ph: 417-275-4854.
Fax: 417-275-4855
A final note:
I know nothing about James' ministry, but I know people who know and
affirm him and what he does. It may be that you would like to contact
him about his school assemblies or some other aspect of his ministry, so
I am including again his name ---- James Reed ---- and his e-mail address
---- <[email protected]>.
Also, if you appreciated his comments, you might want to drop him a note
to thank him.
I'll meet you again Sunday night or Monday morning.
Bob