[Roundtable] FW: A great call from the depths of hunger....

[Jefferis Peterson]

Knowing there are a lot of fellow travelers here dissatisfied with ³church
as usual,² I thought you might enjoy this message which spoke to us today.
I thought you might enjoy this letter...
~~~~~~~~~~~~
Jefferis Peterson, Pres.
Web Design and Marketing
http://www.PetersonSales.com


------ Forwarded Message
 

A great call from the depths of hunger
There is a mounting dissatisfaction streaming from a hunger for the real and
the greater that God can do.
Jer 4:19, "O my soul, my soul! I am pained in my very heart! My heart makes
a noise in me; I cannot hold my peace, because you have heard, O my soul,
The sound of the trumpet, The alarm of war. " NKJV
The time is drawing near and almost past.
 
Colin Wilson of 'Highland Christian News' writes:
Dear Christian believer,
For a considerable time now you have been strangely unsettled in your
spirit. This has perplexed you - as you have just been getting on with your
Christian walk and participating in the general life of the church. But you
have been disturbed in yourself. You have re-read the pages of the Bible
relating to the dynamic works of the
apostles and the early disciples; and then compared these with what you have
been experiencing in your own life and fellowship setting. And you have
perceived a huge "mis-match"; a yawning gap between where
(spiritually-speaking) things are now, and where the early followers of
Christ were in their day. (Note: I am not suggesting that Pentecost is to be
repeated; but rather continued.. Eph 5:18.)

In different times and circumstances you may have felt that it was time to
"move on to a new situation" in your journey with Christ, but in a strange
way you have not felt any clear direction regarding which way to go. You
have not felt called to "re-locate"; indeed you may have been feeling and
continuing to feel that you need strive to identify more closely with your
immediate neighbors and that section of society (neighborhood/ workplace,
etc.) in your immediate orbit.
In a strange way, any striving that you have done to draw closer to Christ,
and to be more committed to His calling and God's word, has increased rather
than reduced the dis-satisfaction and unrest that you have been feeling. And
you have felt lonely even when surrounded by other Christians who do not
seem to be disturbed in spirit in the way that you are. Most other
Christians in fact seem to be just happily getting on with their lives. And
this adds to your perplexity. "Is it just me? Why am I feeling this way?
There must be something wrong with me; as most others seem to be getting
along OK." You have been concerned that you might be getting cynical and
critical over what you see as the increasing worldliness in the church. And
you long for fellowship with others whom you feel might understand - in some
measure at least - "where you are". But as you cautiously yet honestly open
up to others whom you sense may be walking the same path, you find that they
too in their heart of hearts have been going through exactly the same inner
spiritual processes and turmoil as yourself.
If you have been sensing or experiencing any of these things take heart dear
child of God. I believe that what you have been going through is a God-given
unsettledness, a Holy dissatisfaction with "what is"; and what He has been
creating in you is to prepare you for the days to come.
I believe a great crisis lies ahead - for society, its peoples and the
religious system which many would call "the church"; and God needs those who
have been weaned away from dependency on the structures, programs and other
facets of organized churchianity. He is looking for those who hunger and
thirst after righteousness; and long to be filled with the life-giving
Spirit of God. 
The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob is searching for those who are - and
will seek to be - Kingdom-builders (as opposed to empire-builders). He is
desiring and preparing those who will seek to know nothing but Jesus Christ
and Him crucified; those who will find no satisfaction in the trinkets of
this world and who will spurn the carnal methods, the fixation with
"success" and the worldly measurements of "spirituality" and "commitment"
that have invaded the church.
But, if you have not done so already, please consider some questions. Are
you a believer who is prepared to "abandon all" in the cause of Christ and
His Great Commission to reach the lost? Have you considered the cost, and
are you prepared to pay that price in the context of the measure of grace
that has been shown to you? Indeed, in your spirit, you realize that nothing
short of total submission will slake your thirst for God and satisfy the
desires of your heart. The way ahead could involve great sacrifice; and you
may face rejection and much criticism - even from those around you and close
to you in the "church",  but it is this type of sacrifice in which the Lord
delights (Matt 5:11&12). And indeed the cost of turning away from His
calling upon your life will be even greater.
Take heart dear follower of "the Way", you are not alone. Many others are
being spoken to in exactly the same way as God is speaking to you. If it is
not apparent to you yet, time will reveal those who will stand with you.
Meanwhile equip yourself with (a knowledge of) His Word and abandon yourself
to (the leading of) His spirit, that He might use you to the extent that He
would, as the God of all ages works out His purposes in our fallen and needy
world; both now and forever.
Your God and my God has clearly stated through His Son Jesus Christ:
"Blessed are those who hunger and thirst after righteous-ness, because they
shall be filled. Blessed are those who are persecuted because of
righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when
people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against
you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in
heaven."

-Your brother, Colin Wilson.

 
------ End of Forwarded Message

------ End of Forwarded Message

-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: http://six.pairlist.net/pipermail/roundtable/attachments/20050605/807f61e8/attachment.html