Metro Beat
Vol 2, Issue 2
Vol 2, Issue 2
Multiplication Theory
A few weeks ago I received a goodbye call from one of my ESL students. She has been recalled to China to fulfill an obligation but is hoping to get permission to return here in a couple of years. She wanted to let me know, though, that I was the best English teacher she had ever had. Despite how good such a compliment felt, I was naturally sorry to see her leave my class. The next day I arrived at the BCM expecting to teach a smaller group only to have the pleasure of welcoming seven more of her fellow exchange students to my course. Please pray that God will open doors during our times together and as I get to know each one of these new arrivals.
Ding! Ding! Ding!
Sometimes we describe a moment of revelation as a bell ringing or perhaps a light bulb suddenly going on over our head. A young man from Taiwan in our Chinese Fellowship had an experience like that recently. During a discussion on the enemy's influence in the world, he questioned the degree of this as he understood that Satan was lord of Hell and not of earth. When we explained that Hell was actually a place of punishment for Satan, that he wasn't there yet, and that he is still exerting control over the world today (1 John 5:19), our friend was flabbergasted. He, even as a Christian, had mistakenly believed in the dualistic idea promoted by much of the media that God reigns in Heaven while Satan reigns in Hell as his polar opposite. You should have seen the wonder and excitement on this man's face as suddenly everything fell into place in his thinking. He saw the influence of sin in our lives and our desperate need for Christ in a completely different light. As I was explaining all of this to him, part of my attention was on one of the non-Christians in the group. She was absorbing our words like a sponge. Please pray for God's truth to continue to shine forth and impact lives in our discussions.
Tennis, Anyone?
Last night during my Bible study I was suddenly bombarded on two fronts. Two non-Christians, one from Taiwan and one from China, were peppering me with questions. One wanted to know why God bothered to save Noah's family (since only Noah was called righteous) and didn't just start afresh with new people after the flood. The other wanted to understand why God didn't just wipe out Satan before he could tempt Eve in the garden. Not only are these questions difficult to respond to as they are "Mind-of-God" questions and have no clear-cut answers, both people were asking them at once. I found my head swinging back and forth from one side of the room to the other like a spectator at a tennis match. Praise God for the keen interest and pray that the Holy Spirit will guide my responses.
Other Prayer Requests
My father is getting weaker all the time, yet his vital signs are usually pretty good. Still, we spent this last week making funeral arrangements. Please pray for all of us during this difficult period of our lives.
Many of my students will be traveling during the summer as will several members of the Chinese Fellowship. Two of the men will be returning with their wives in the fall and are eager for me to meet them. Please pray for traveling mercies and for the classes as we transition to a summer schedule.
Pray for Joyce and the kids as they also transition into a summer schedule in the next few weeks and have to adjust to the changes in responsibility and time management that will bring.
Praise the Lord for those who increased their support of this ministry. Continue praying, though, as we are still struggling financially.
Yours By His Grace,
John for the Rest of the Ropers
Sometimes we describe a moment of revelation as a bell ringing or perhaps a light bulb suddenly going on over our head. A young man from Taiwan in our Chinese Fellowship had an experience like that recently. During a discussion on the enemy's influence in the world, he questioned the degree of this as he understood that Satan was lord of Hell and not of earth. When we explained that Hell was actually a place of punishment for Satan, that he wasn't there yet, and that he is still exerting control over the world today (1 John 5:19), our friend was flabbergasted. He, even as a Christian, had mistakenly believed in the dualistic idea promoted by much of the media that God reigns in Heaven while Satan reigns in Hell as his polar opposite. You should have seen the wonder and excitement on this man's face as suddenly everything fell into place in his thinking. He saw the influence of sin in our lives and our desperate need for Christ in a completely different light. As I was explaining all of this to him, part of my attention was on one of the non-Christians in the group. She was absorbing our words like a sponge. Please pray for God's truth to continue to shine forth and impact lives in our discussions.
Tennis, Anyone?
Last night during my Bible study I was suddenly bombarded on two fronts. Two non-Christians, one from Taiwan and one from China, were peppering me with questions. One wanted to know why God bothered to save Noah's family (since only Noah was called righteous) and didn't just start afresh with new people after the flood. The other wanted to understand why God didn't just wipe out Satan before he could tempt Eve in the garden. Not only are these questions difficult to respond to as they are "Mind-of-God" questions and have no clear-cut answers, both people were asking them at once. I found my head swinging back and forth from one side of the room to the other like a spectator at a tennis match. Praise God for the keen interest and pray that the Holy Spirit will guide my responses.
Other Prayer Requests
My father is getting weaker all the time, yet his vital signs are usually pretty good. Still, we spent this last week making funeral arrangements. Please pray for all of us during this difficult period of our lives.
Many of my students will be traveling during the summer as will several members of the Chinese Fellowship. Two of the men will be returning with their wives in the fall and are eager for me to meet them. Please pray for traveling mercies and for the classes as we transition to a summer schedule.
Pray for Joyce and the kids as they also transition into a summer schedule in the next few weeks and have to adjust to the changes in responsibility and time management that will bring.
Praise the Lord for those who increased their support of this ministry. Continue praying, though, as we are still struggling financially.
Yours By His Grace,
John for the Rest of the Ropers
“Love Not The World”
ReplyDelete”For the WHOLE world(not just a portion) is under the control of the evil one”.......(I John 5:19)
“Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world will pass away, and the lust thereof: but he that does the will of The Only True GOD will abide for ever.”(IJohn2:15-17)
“If you were of the world, the world would love it’s own: but because you are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. Remember the word that I said unto you, the servant is not greater than his Master. If they have persecuted Me, they will also persecute you; if they have kept My saying, they will keep yours also.” (John15:19-20)
“Where do wars and fighting among you come from? Do they not come of your lusts that war in your members? You lust, and have not: you kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: you fight and war yet you have not, because you ask not. You ask, and receive not, because you ask amiss, that you may consume it upon your lusts. You adulterers and adulteresses, don’t you know that friendship with the world is to be at enmity with The Only True GOD? Therefore whoever will be a friend of the world is the enemy of The Only True GOD.” (James 4:1-4)
“The world cannot hate you; but the world hates Me, because I testify that the works of this world are evil.” (John 7:7)” and “The Messiah gave Himself for our sins, that He might deliver us from this present evil world, according to the will of The Only True God, Our Father.”(Gal 1:4)
The Messiah testified: “If the world hates you know that it hated Me before it hated you.”(John 5:18) Truly, Truly, I say unto you, except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abides alone: but if it die it brings forth much fruit. He that loves his life in this world shall lose it; and he that hates his life in this world shall have it unto life eternal.” (John 12:24-25)
John testified: “Marvel not, my brethren, if the world hates you.” (I John 3:13) “ James testified, “Whoever would be a friend of this world is the enemy of GOD”(James4:4)
The “earth and it's life forms” are The Creation of The ONE and Only True GOD, Father of ALL! The “worldly” systems are the creation of, and under the dominion of “the god of this world”, he who is “the father of lies”, he who “has blinded the minds of those who believe not The Messiah”! All the nations of this world are under the dominion of, and serve, the “god of this world” for he provides the fuel that feeds mankind’s “imag”ination. And sadly, mankind’s “imag”ination is destroying Creation(air, water, land vegetation, creatures) and perverting that which is Spirit(Truth, Light, Life, Faith, Love, Peace,, All that is Truly Good) ;-(
Once again, the “earth and it's life forms” are The Creation of The Only True GOD, Father of ALL! The current “worldly” systems are the creation of, and under the dominion of “the god of this world”.
Those who “love this world” all serve “the god of this world”, and have their portion in the processes that are progressively destroying The Creation of The Only True GOD. “And The Only True GOD will destroy them who destroy the earth.” (Rev 11:18c)(continued)
Global warming, polluted air, land and waters, toxic wastes, sexual perversion, evil inventions of destruction, greed, hate, carnal warfare, dis-ease(no-peace),,etc,, are all destructive processes that have their root in “the lust of the eye, the lust of the flesh, and the pride of life” all of which fuel the fires of mankind’s “imag”ination ;-(
ReplyDeleteThankfully The Truth Is Alive in those who have been born of The Spirit for “they no longer love this wicked, evil world and it’s things, nor do they love their own lives in this world”. They but seek and desire The Will of GOD, their Father and Creator, as they await their final transformation. “Corruptible to Incorruptible" indeed and Truth! Home, Home at last!
Now “the ground was cursed(notice that the ground was cursed, not Adam) for Adam’s sake” because he “hearkened unto the woman”.
Adam listened to a woman rather than obeying The Only True GOD. Yet because of Faithful Noah, The Only True GOD “no longer would curse the ground for man’s sake” because Noah obeyed The Only True GOD rather than a woman! (Genesis8:21-22) And the Faithful today are exhorted to “love not the world, neither the things that are in the world.”
Be not of those who deny and defy “The One GOD, Father of All”. Be not of those who are destroying Creation(water, air, land, vegetation, creatures) and perverting that which is Spirit(Truth, Light, Life, Love, Peace, Hope, Mercy, Faith, Wisdom, Grace, Faith, Miralces,.etc.) ;-(
“Set your affections on things above”. Desire Heavenly, eternal things. Be not joined together with those serving ‘time’ in the prison that is this world! Take heed unto The Call of "The Only True GOD" to ”Come Out of her, MY people!”
“Come out” from among those who are destroying Creation and perverting that which is Spirit. Be of those who follow The Messiah on The Way to The Truth of The Life.
“Come out” of the worldly systems, which are but the product of mankind’s “imag”ination, and especially this world’s systems of theo’ry’logical religion.
"Pure religion and undefiled before GOD The Father is this, to visit the fatherless(those who know not their Father[Creator]) and widows(those who have not been joined together as One with The Messiah and Our Father) in their affliction and to keep oneself uncontaminated by the world." (James1:27)
Simply, all other religion is impure, defiled and of this wicked, evil world.
"Pure religion and undefiled" is declared to be personal(oneself), not corporate.
Faith will not create a system of religion!
Faith is Family, not "religion", and The Brethren of The Messiah yet seek and desire that which The Messiah sought and desired above all else:
"Father, not my will, But THY Will Be Done"
Peace, in spite of the dis-ease(no-peace) that is of this world and it's systems of religion, for "the WHOLE world(not just a portion) is under the control of the evil one" indeed and Truth......
Truth IS, a lie is not.......
Abide in The Truth....... francis