ISEMA Newsletters
Wounded Soldiers
by Renee Burnett, Illuminated Hearts Ministry, Box 502, Willits, CA 95490
There is a spirit of repentance moving in the hearts and minds of God’s people today. As I move around in ministry I am finding an increasing number of God’s people who are sensitive to the work of the Holy Spirit in their lives. The areas that are being confessed are similar in many lives. These areas are: fear of rejection, insecurity, and bitterness….These three areas of sin lead to two major problems in the church today: judgement and control. If you have a root of bitterness, no matter how keen you think your discernment is, it’s still tainted by a lack of compassion. Instead of loving God’s people through their sins, you will judge them….
“Go and learn what this means, `I desire compassion and not sacrifice.'” Matt. 9:13. This word for compassion is “kindness or good will towards the miserable and afflicted, joined with a desire to relieve them.” The root of bitterness will keep you from knowing your authority in Christ and being able to exercise it with compassion toward your fellow man….Bitterness is the sin of unforgiveness.
What about fear of rejection and insecurity? Do these have an adverse affect on the corporate body of Christ? Most affirmatively so. In the form of control. People who fear rejection try to position themselves and others so as not to expose themselves to the bitter pang of rejection….This subtle form of control is quenching the Spirit and choking the life right out of our churches today.
Insecurity operates very similarly. If you have a stronghold of insecurity in your inward man, you will have a tendency to try to control everything around you as you do not trust God. Most likely you were raised in a dysfunctional family unit and your parents were not able to give you a secure environment to nurture you into maturity. Whatever form of love and security were offered you were most likely mis-labeled. You probably don’t understand agape or unconditional love. Therefore you have a hard time loving God’s people unconditionally. If you let the light of Christ search your heart, you will probably find resentment and bitterness at the root of your insecurities. Control is simply the sin of rebellion, which is likened unto the sin of witchcraft (1 Sam. 15:23).
Now that we have dealt with the hearts and minds of men concerning these three strongholds in God’s people today, let’s take a look at the spirit behind this sin which has so easily beset us. The “spirit of Jezebel” is at the root of all this sin. Jezebel is a controller, she hates the word of the Lord that proceeds from the mouth of the prophets. She calls herself a prophetess (Rev. 2:20). She…brings judgement upon the peoples of God (Rev. 2:22). She promotes rebellion and usurps God-given authority. She seduces God’s people with her witchcraft and harlotry. She brings fear and discouragement on God’s prophets (1 Kings 19:1-4).
Just as the spirit of Jezebel is so prevalent in the church today, so is the spirit of Elijah (Mal. 4:5). Elijah is the counterpart to Jezebel. Just as Jezebel the queen warred against Elijah the prophet (1 Kings 17-19), the spirit of Jezebel in Herodias (Mark 6:24) warred against the spirit of Elijah in John the Baptist (Matt. 11:14). The battle continues today in the minds and hearts of God’s people. the spirit of Elijah is the spirit of repentance. Just as Elijah brought the people of Israel to repentance in his day, so did John the Baptist in his day. This spirit of repentance, or “Elijah spirit,” is beginning to move in the hearts and minds of God’s people today. We must repent from our bitterness, our control, our unbelief, unforgiveness, our rebellion, our judgements. If we should judge anything, we should judge the spirit of Jezebel in our midst today. Jesus is “He…who searches the hearts and minds” Rev. 2:23….We must not give in to the influence of Jezebel in our thoughts and feelings. We must judge our own hearts and minds by submitting to the Holy Spirit. Judgement begins in the house of the Lord. Let us each start with our own house and let the Holy Spirit do the rest.
A Tale of Two Nations
from the Soulwinner, Bob Porter Ministries, Box 7980, Roanoke, VA 24019, (703) 563-5100.
An unexpected blessing came my way when I received a call from a friend who wanted to know if it would be possible for Ulo Niinemagi (who is one of the pastors of the St. Olaf Christian Baptist Church in Tallin, Estonia) to witness with me on the street. We made arrangements to meet Ulo in downtown Roanoke on Friday, June 15.
Before the day was over, Ulo learned much about the response of the American people to his direct witness for Jesus. He learned that the majority of people were not interested in what he had to say. This was a surprise to Ulo.
After witnessing on the street for approximately one hour, Ulo and I began comparing the response of the American people as compared to the people of Estonia. Ulo said that if I were witnessing around my cross in Estonia, hundreds of people would gather to hear what I had to say. He was perplexed at the lack of interest in America.
Ulo was amazed at the way the American people responded to my tract ministry. Many of those who were offered a soul-winning tract would not take it. Ulo said that the response by the people of Estonia would have been much different. He said they would have come to me by the hundreds to get one of the tracts so that they could read about Jesus.
Ulo wanted to know if I could preach on the street corner. I told him that I could not unless I had a permit. (Ed. note: I assume he is referring to amplified preaching, but Christians are sometimes illegally arrested for unamplified preaching.) He was astonished. He wanted to know what would happen if I preached without a permit. I informed him that I would be arrested and taken to jail. This, too, was a surprise to Ulo.
As we continued with our conversation, Ulo asked if I preached in high schools about Jesus. I told him that this was also against the law because of the separation of church and state. He shook his head and said, “I don’t understand.” Ulo looked at me and asked, “Do you have an American flag?” I told him that I had one in my office. Ulo responded by saying, “I have been taught in Estonia that the American flag stands for freedom…but your Christian freedom is limited.”
Ulo can preach on the streets in Estonia (part of the Soviet Union) without a permit. He can also visit the public schools and witness to the students about Jesus. Yes, there is communist oppression in Estonia. However, in the midst of this oppression, they have religious freedoms that this evangelist does not have in “the land of the free”…America.
As we continued to witness on the street, Ulo asked one final question. He said, “Do other Christians help you as you witness around the cross?” I responded by saying, “only occasionally.” Ulo could not understand why fellow Christians were not on the street supporting me with prayer as I shared Jesus with the lost.
Coming Events
August 15-19 Indianapolis 1990 North American Congress on the Holy Spirit and World Evangelization. $49 registration. Loren Cunningham, Larry Lea, Joy Dawson, and many others. 30-40,000 expected. Contact: 237 N. Michigan St., South Bend, IN 46601, (800) JESUS-90.
August 17-25 SOS-San Francisco. 11th year. $45 incl. breakfast, lunch, housing. Contact SOS Ministries, Box 27358, Oakland, CA 94602, (415) 531-5325.
September 12-16 Mario Murillo Crusade and Street Invasion, San Francisco. Evangelism outreach and downtown tent crusade. Contact Mario Murillo Ministries, Box 5027, San Ramon, CA 94583, (415) 820-5470 (note new address, phone).
September 27-29 National Street Ministries Conference, Dallas, TX. Tommy Barnett, Winkie Pratney, Gary Greenwald and others. Contact S.H.O.M., Box 380306, Duncanville, TX 75138, (214) 331-6902.
October 27-November 7 The Alternativa Surfing Championship Outreach, Brazil. Contact Forward Edge, Box 65238, Vancouver, WA 98665, (206) 693-EDGE.
Some Final Thoughts
We’ve been trying in this newsletter to keep you informed about court cases, especially in the U. S. Supreme Court, that affect our freedom to witness. The most recent session, which recently ended, contained some very troubling rulings. While the Court ruled that Christians could hold meetings and witness in high schools, it also ruled that state and local governments did not need to make “reasonable accommodation” for religious beliefs in their regulations. In one final case, “U.S. vs. Kokinda,” it ruled that the nation’s post offices may ban soliciting on their property. The justices, by a 5 to 4 vote, said a regulation imposing a blanket ban does not violate free speech rights. The court reinstated the convictions of two political organizers who solicited contributions and distributed literature from the sidewalk outside a post office in Bowie, MD. While there is an increasing amount of freedom of religion in the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe, our freedoms in the U.S. are eroding rapidly. We need to do everything we can to reach this nation while we can.
China continues to severely persecute and restrict the freedoms of Christians. Recently, I received a letter from Pat and Windy Caspary, who are missionaries to China. They are currently speaking in churches in the U.S. about the needs in China and are sending a team there in October. If anyone is interested in having them speak at their church or participating in that team, write them at Box 14873, Santa Rosa CA 95402.
Our Tape of the Month is “Involving your Family in Ministry” by Judy McPheeters-Radachy. Judy is co-director of the Holy Ghost Repair Service in Hollywood, which just finished a very successful SOS-Hollywood Outreach. This tape was given at an ISEMA Evangelism Conference and is an excellent teaching on how to make evangelism an activity the whole family can share in.
I am looking forward to seeing many of you at the National Street Ministries Conference in Dallas. I would strongly encourage you to attend this conference, as it will be an opportunity to receive practical training in evangelism from many veterans in the gospel trenches and also to meet hundreds of Christians who are interested in and involved in street ministry. There are not that many of us, and we need to help and encourage one another.
Yours in His love,
Larry Rosenbaum