”I have learned!  Phil. 4:12

Reflecting on our 6 weeks in Ca. a few essentials challenged me, and I hope the following observations won´t be my swan song:

1.     The fundamental U.S. churches and their pastors generally possess much Bible knowledge.  No wonder as they have access to the best theological library in the world, and the pastor´s study is usually a storehouse of the finest commentaries, Bible translations, Greek grammars, homiletics, treatises, expositions, devotionals and the newest craze in electronic equipment.  I enjoy the teaching of a Bible saturated pastor.  However, would such men meet the need in Europe?  The “provocative” answer is “No, I´m sorry”.  Our summer camps are often crowded with competent English speaking dignities lacking, however,  the supernatural power of revival.  Of course we need teaching, but above all we need an encounter with God afresh aroused by an anointed voice speaking out the mind of God with a clarion call to go back to our basics.  Europe is waiting for another “strong man” (soon coming, maybe), but the apathetic church in the old as well as in the new world is yearning for unpolished, simple men sent by God in this age of decline to a paralyzed church chained in another “Babylonian Captivity”.

2.    What a joy to attend a Bible loving church, but a greater joy I´ve found in the spiritual fellowship with brothers and sisters, either on an individual basis, or in a group.  By and large we, in the U.S. as well as in my own country, know very little of true New Testament fellowship.  The apostle writes, “If there is any…participation (i.e. fellowship) in the Spirit…(Phil. 2:1).  Praise God, there is, but it´s a rare thing in the overheated, programmed church.  And yet fellowship is what the body of Christ is about, and the body of Christ is what the church is about.  Why is true fellowship as difficult to find as it is to look for a needle in a haystack? The church can easily do without it, I answer.  Anyway, when the needle is found, use it to pin on the church door updated reformative theses reclaiming God´s truth now so suppressed. Rom. 1:18,25.

3.    It´s surprising how apt we Christians are to be negatively occupied with the president and how little we heed the exhortation in 1 Tim. 2:1-2 and pray for him and his administration for “this is good and well pleasing in the sight of God, our Savior.”   I´m not throwing stones, as I became entangled myself against Obama, but 1 Tim.2 should help us mend our way of thinking and praying if we want to live a godly life.  That doesn´t mean that we accept everything Obama stands for as little as Paul went along with the wicked Nero in Rome.  And yet the Bible verse referred to includes “all in high positions”.  The point is that our minds can be so taken up with a policy we oppose that instead of being praying Christ-followers, we become furious Obama opponents at the risk of losing the spirit of prayer.

4.    Billy Graham (my last point) has often been in the firing line too, and as some of the charges against him are probably true, I also feel hurt, for I love him.  I´ve heard him in my youth, and I personally know of people who came to Christ through his ministry.  There´s a lack of love among criticizing Christians, and if you look up on the internet (for all the world to watch and scrutinize),  it´s sad how unkindly and unscrupulously Christians may throw mud at this brother.  Doesn´t that say more to the disadvantage of the critics than of Billy himself?   I just listened (on the internet) to some of his old sermons.  I saw and heard him preach on the cross in Madison Square Garden, N.Y. in 1957, and as far as I´m concerned, Billy with his passionate pleading with souls really did “the work of an evangelist” (2 Tim.4:5).  Nevertheless, some of his critics have already condemned him, even to hell.  Billy will no doubt go over in history as a godly man with his obvious weaknesses, yet under the overruling grace of God.  The church history had its erring men used by God because of that grace ( for: “We all stumble in many ways!”, Jam. 3:2), and you and I, if born again, are under the same unfathomable grace of Jesus Christ.  Honestly, do we have any other hope?  I don´t.


Clovis, Ca., May 1, 2010.

-jn-