I want to share a bit about the books I read recently. I read the books about biography of Men of God. John Wycliffe, John Hus, John Knox, John Wesley, Martin Luther, Charles Finney, General Booth, D.L. Moody, George Muller, Wilhelm Busch, etc. These kind of books, I enjoy most, because they wrote based on their experiences, their personal encounter with God, not complicated or using so many Bible verse just to support their opinions. If you want to be useful in God's work, I suggest you to read these books. These books are only for those who have been born again. NOT LUKEWARM CHRISTIAN.
http://www.impactchristianbooks.com/products.asp and 'Jesus Our Destiny' by Wilheim Busch. These people were crazy for God, and God honored them. You will see how God worked through people.
Bible is practical, living Christian life is practical. You can't have this if you never move from your comfort zone. The Gospel of Christ will just be a story about Jesus' life, Books of Acts will just a story about Revival, and letters from Paul will just like teachings, full of words, without power, without Holy Spirit, without deep conviction. Many people can teach, many people can understand the Word of God (literally), which is good, but to make it much better, you need to live on it, to practice it into your daily life. You will receive more blessing from God.
1 Thessalonians 1:5
for the gospel we brought did not come to you in words only, but also with power, with the Holy Spirit, and with deep conviction. Indeed, you know what kind of people we proved to be while we were with you, acting on your behalf.
Let's talk about our Master first, Jesus Christ. His ministry began at the age of 30 years old until his death. He did ministry for 3.5 years. But can you imagine what He did? If you read the whole Gospel books, he did a lot. Imagine! At that time, there was no car, airplane, most of the cases people walked but Jesus did so many things during that days. He is Son of Man, had the same weakness like us, His body was the same like us, flesh. But He was on Fire all the time. He is the image of invisible God, the firstborn of all creation (Collossians 1:15). He woke up early in the morning and pray, the he went to reach the people and preach the Gospel, He did healing, deliverance, miracles, teaching, etc, then at night He went to pray again. He did this everyday. God's Spirit was inside Him. He was on Fire everyday for 3.5 years.
Then, when Jesus has finished His ministry, it continued like yeast inside the flour, it will work until all of it was leaven, Jesus came to show us the Way to God, He died on the cross to pay the price for us. He introduced the Salvation way to all people. Jesus was the small beginning, and it will continue until this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.
The seed doesn't come to life unless it dies (1 Cor 15:36). So Jesus establish His church in this world on the Rock, Jesus Christ, Son of the Living God, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it. From Jesus unto 12 Apostles, one has been doomed, then it grew into 120 people (Acts 1:15). And on the day of Pentacost, when the Holy Spirit was for the first time poured down, about 3000 men were added. It continued until the early church established in Antioch and they called themselves Christians (Acts 11:26).
During that time, God's work must continue. God chose those who are willing to be used by Him. If you read the book of Acts, there are many names who labored so much for God: The 12 Apostles (Matthias replaced Judas Iscariot position), the Seven (Stephen, Philip, Procorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, Nicolas), Barnabas, Silas, Apollos, Timothy, Lydia, Aeneas, Dorcas, etc. God didn't ask you to be rich, to be clever, to be beautiful, to be talented, He just need a man/woman, who can say, 'Here I am, use me!' Jesus shows Himself to everybody. If you encountered with people who bring the Gospel, that means Jesus is calling you. He has something for you.
The same thing like Jesus chose to use Saul (which later changed to Paul) He appeared as the light on his journey to Damascus. I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. This calling is the same for every believer, not just only to Paul, only to 12 Apostles, but it also applied for you, but many people reject to be used by God, even though Jesus himself who talked to them. Many of them make an excuse for themselves by saying, 'Lord, let me go and bury my father' or 'I will follow you, Lord, but first let me go back and say good-by to my family' (Luke 9:59-62).
But you know what Saul did when the Light came to Him as the Light that has also come to you long long time ago, when somebody told you about Jesus, which maybe you chose to run away from Him? Paul didn't choose to run away from God, but he considered all the mistakes he had done, he didn't eat and drink for 3 days. And after he spent several days with the disciples in Damascus, at once he began to preach in the synagogues that Jesus is the Son of God.
He preached everyday for whole his life, persecuted, stoned, prisoned, beaten, etc because of Jesus' name. Just imagine, my friends. What if Paul chose to stay in Antioch, stayed in the church there. He would never wrote so many wonderful letters. And His personal life with God will never be like what we read in the Bible. He didn't do that, he chose to move from town to town, to bring revival in every city he visited. He enjoyed labor for God, his relationship with God was the closest relationship among men in the new testament. God revealed so much to Paul. He even was taken to see the Paradise of God. God never forsaken him. Paul said, 'For me, to go on living is Christ, and to die is gain.'
He was satisfied because he has fulfilled his task given by God, he has endure so many hardship. He said to Timothy, 'For I am already being poured out like a drink offering, and the time has come for my departure. I have fought the good fight, I have finished my race. I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day -- and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing.
This kind of life really challenge me. This guy, Paul, was crazy for God, he loved God more than he loved himself, he didn't marry for fully serve God, he was so humble, he became slave for everybody for the sake of Gospel. He preached everyday, went to synagogue, He oppose Judaism directly, when there was a time for testimonies, he went to the front and preached, until he was kicked out from the town, but many got saved. Paul even said, 'Woe to me if I preach not the Gospel!
Another man who crazy for Christ. Charles Finney. He said, 'If I wasn't kicked out from the town, I must haven't preached.' He had the ability to shock both saint and sinner alike. He was radical in both his methods and his message, Finney was critized for almost everything except being boring. He gave up his Law profession in order to spread the Gospel, and soon he became the most moteworthy revivalist of the 19th century. It is estimated that over 250.000 souls were converted as a result of his preaching.
He was so close to God, he woke up early in the morning and prayed for all of his life. Because of his concecration, God's Spirit was inside him so much like fire. He never prepared any of his sermons. He prayed before that, and opened His Bible, quoted it and began to talk and every time he talked, those attendants became unsettle, the Spirit of God brought deep conviction onto them, they began to weep, to shout, to beg for mercy. No chance for those people to escape from God, either they repent at that time or went away from the church. There was a time when he visited a factory with hundreds people worked there, he didn't say anything, but the Spirit of God was inside him, all the workers there start crying. His concecration to God was so much. My friends, please don't try his methods of preaching, to preach without preparation, etc, unless you have the same concecration like him.
John Wesley, he raised up in very strict family, and he almost died when his house was under fire, just seconds after he was taken from the house, the roof collapsed. He studied in Oxford and formed Methodist group, who had strict rule based on holiness. But he was lack something practical about God until went to United States to become missionaris and met German Movarians on the ship, there he learned about the Gospel practically. His mission in United States can't be said success, he went back to England sadly. And not long after that, He encountered God, he received mighty anointing of Holy Ghost Baptism from God. He had great burden about his people's soul. He wanted to see God's hand in England. He started to go to open air and preach.
He also man of prayer. He woke up at 4 am every morning and prayed for hours. He did this for whole of his lifetime. He was persecuted even attacked by mobs. But God was with him. His burden in his heart about people's salvation, people's eternity was so much, he wrestled with God everyday through prayed for these lost souls. He didn't want any of them to perish. He labored so much for God, and God did honor him. Many got saved through his preaching.
John Knox, another man of God. He had great desire for his country, 'Give me Scotland or I die.' Just read his biography and you will see how God used this man for Him. The burden for souls is the key for becoming an effective preacher. He brought revival in Scotland, the same thing like Wesley did.
D.L. Moody, he was another Jesus fanatic, his past life was so painful. His father died young and left the family of 7 children penniless, but his mother was a godly woman, she raised him in strict dicipline. She brought little Moody to Sunday School, and once, his teacher came and preached to him. Without argument, Moody gave his life to Jesus. That was his starting point to be a mighty man of God. He started preaching to everybody in the town, he asked all the people he met, 'Are you Christian?' and once a man talked back to him, 'Mind your own business.' He answered, 'Sir, this is my business.' Then the man replied, 'You must be D.L. Moody.' He brought revival in US and England.
George Muller, he was a bad man. He lived in sinful and reckless living. He revolted against God, he did play card trick, habitual thief and an expert of cheating. His sin continued from bad to worse until somebody invited him to go to church and amazingly, he accepted that. That was a first beginning for another man of God. it seems all men used greatly of God must go through their Gethsemane. On June 22, 1835, Mrs Muller lost her father, then their 2 children was desperately ill. The son was died and because of that, the love of Mr. Muller for children was quickened.
He went to pray and pray, seek God until mighty anointing came upon him. He received His Holy Ghost Baptism. He then made a formal step to open an orphan house, he gave all his belonging into it while depending strongly to God to provide all the money needed. He labored so much, just within 2 or 3 months 26 orphans had been admitted. He was the men of prayer, he knew that God will provide them. Once there was a time, where the bill will just arrive in 10 minutes but he had no money, he went to pray and suddenly someone came and gave the money that was enough to pay the bill. The lady testified that she didn't know what's wrong with her, it looked like somebody told her to give the money, even though that money was her last penny.
Do you want to be like them? If you want to experience that, to have more of God's Power inside you, to make you always in fire. You need to be ready first. If you still have eagerness for riches, woman, pride, or self-seeking, etc, it will bring no good. You will just put your eternity in danger. The more you closer to God, the more you need to be afraid of Him. He is a jealous God, He could even take away your loved one just to make you closer to Him, like He did to Ezekiel. You need to greatly depend on Him.
Ezekiel 24:15-17
Also the word of the LORD came to me, saying, Son of man, behold, I take away from you the desire of your eyes with a stroke: yet neither shall you mourn nor weep, neither shall your tears run down. Forbear to cry, make no mourning for the dead, bind the tire of your head on you, and put on your shoes on your feet, and cover not your lips, and eat not the bread of men.
Luke 14:26
If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father, mother, wife, children, brothers, and sisters, as well as his own life, he can't be my disciple
The first important thing is that you need to seek to know God more and more, ask Him to give you His mighty anointing, Holy Ghost Baptism. As I always said before in my articles, before you received Holy Spirit fully, you need to be sanctified. Then, when God see that you are ready, His will give you Power, gifts of Holy Spirit to support His works. He is a Masterplan, He will not give something to His child that can cause danger to his child's life. The child need to be mature enough before He gave him responsibility. If you want to be used by God mightily, prepare yourself.
The second one is: Start increasing the burden in your heart about lost souls. Maybe for other people, everybody has their own freewill, but for you, they must give their life to Jesus. You don't want to go to heaven alone. If you see your family, your relatives, your friends, you will not just stay quiet but start preaching the Gospel to them. Be faithful in the very little, and God will give you a lot.
The third one is: Be a prayer warrior. No man of God I mentioned above had not prayful life. Most of them woke up early in the morning, 4 am, and pray and pray and pray until something happen. They wrestled with God, just like Jacob with angel, he will not let God go unless He blessed him. John Knox said, 'Give me Scotland or I die.' You can't be men of God, men who change the world without having prayful life.
The fourth one is: Don't think about dying. Being martyr is the last option. Plead with God, why He must sustain your life. Say to Him that your ministry still need you. Always depend on Him. He will take care of you. God added 15 more years to Hezekiah (Isaiah 38:5).
The fifty one is: Allow the Holy Spirit to move according to His way. If you think that Holy Spirit must come to this way or that way, being skeptical, narrow minded. Stop hoping that He will manifest to you. Gospel of Christ is new wine, and Judaism, Law of Moses (10 Commandments) and other traditions (Sacred Tradition, etc) are the old wine. You can't fit the Gospel into your life if you still strongly hold into your tradition, skeptical mind.
Luke 5:37
The sixth one is: You should quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry. Always believe that there is order in God's presence, because God is not a God of disorder but of peace. Humble yourselves before the Lord and He will lift you up. If you never want to listen to somebody else, already think that you are Mr/Mrs Know-all. Believe me, if you can't be under submission and listen to other men of God, nobody want to be under your submission too. Learn from Jesus, He washed His disciples' feet. The higher God raised you, the more humble you should be. Not like those people who like to go with their wide phylacteries and long tassel, who traveled from country to country with Love and Peace message, last 2 month in US, last month in Australia, they like to be respected but never washed other's feet. They were called 'Father', but they even don't know the name of their children. Remember, quick to listen and slow to speak and slow to become angry.
And the last but not least: Be Jesus fanatic, who can shout on the top of your roof. Repent of die. Believe that the Bible stands. Don't compromise to any doctrine or teachings of men, but depend only to God to teach you.
1 John 2:27
But the anointing which you have received of him stays in you, and you need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teaches you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it has taught you, you shall abide in him.
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