Casualties of War

                             

 Casualties of War

Matthew: Chapter 10 – verse 34  (Jesus is speaking)

Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace on Earth; I have not come to bring peace but a sword.

2 Corinthians: Chapter 11 – verses 24 thru 27 (Paul is speaking)

By the Jews I was scourged five times, each time forty stripes less one. Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned, three times I was in a shipwreck, a day and a night I was adrift in the sea in the shipwreck. On many journeys I have been in perils from rivers, in perils of robbers, in perils from my own kinsmen, in perils from the Gentiles, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils from false brethren; In toil and weariness, in sleepless nights, in hunger and thirst, through much fasting, in cold and nakedness.

Acts; Chapter 7- verses 59 and 60

And they stoned Stephen as he prayed, saying, Our Lord Jesus, accept my spirit. And as he knelt down, he cried with a loud voice and said, our lord, do not hold this sin against them. When he had said this, he passed away.

I would say that based on these scriptures, we are most definitely in a war with the evil one. I cannot even begin to imagine suffering on the scale that Paul did. Here in America, we have it far too easy compared to what Paul had to endure.

The casualties listed in these two verses are just some of the scurgings that we have to bear in our endeavor to be Christ like and worthy of being one of his disciples. 

I’m going to share with you one form of suffering that has been wrought upon our fellow brothers and sisters. 

What I have to share is lengthy, so please bear with me.

Back in the year 1990, I was actively pursuing to understand and to know the will of our Father and Lord. I knew that He had a ministry for me. 
I was being very careful that it would be at His direction and not of my own accord. 

As we all know, our own intentions usually do not work too well.

One night as I was lying in bed, I saw something that made me shake my head three or four times to make sure I was fully awake. 

On the wall at the foot of my bed appeared a picture of a bench. The background behind the bench was a brick wall. 

Needless to say, I found this quite strange. 

I thought to myself, "Lord, what is this?"

This picture stayed on the wall for at least 30 minutes and then slowly began to fade away. 

Keep in mind now that I was wide awake. After seeking an answer to what this vision meant (which proved a fruitless endeavour as none came to mind), I finally drifted to sleep. 

About two weeks later, my brother Ken (who is my brother in the flesh) called me on the phone and asked if I could fill in for him that night as a volunteer driver. 
He explained to me how my duties would involve picking up blind people and taking them to their monthly support group meeting. 

Of course I said yes.

That evening I proceeded to pick up about a half dozen people and I drove them to a building where they had their monthly meeting. 

Once they got out of the vehicle I pulled the vehicle forward a bit and shut it off. I was instructed to wait for them as the meeting would be about two hours long. 

As I was sitting in the van, I just happened to look out the passenger window and lo and behold, there was a bench and behind the bench was a brick wall. 

The very same bench and wall that I saw just two weeks earlier ! I was thrilled! The Holy Spirit was confirming to me that this is where I was to be.

How excited I was! 

He had given me a sign!
I know that the Lord can heal all things including blindness! 

I was thrilled at the opportunity to bring that power and authority of the Kingdom to these brothers and sisters who were trapped under the bondage of blindness. 

For the next year, I would pick up these people on a monthly basis. I would patiently wait for them to conclude their meeting and then drive them home.

During this time I came to be friends with them and started to learn what it was like to be blind and the different ways and means that they used to cope with it. I listened intently to the details of all they endured. 

Then I would go home each time and pray fervently for them. 

"Come on Lord, when are you going to allow me to command them to be healed in the name of Jesus?!"

During the second year of my driving I was invited to come in and join them in their meeting. "A very interesting development," I thought to myself. (And little did I know what I was in for ...)

I started to learn what it was really like to be a blind person. 

How horrible it is to one day to have your sight and at the next moment to be without it. 

How you lose your independence. 

How you lose your driver’s license. 

How you lose all your friends. 

How you have to learn to live all over again. 

How you have to struggle to learn how to walk without a guide. 

How you have to learn to trust and lean on your hearing. 

How you have to learn how to pick out the same color socks! 

How to cook without sight. 

How to learn to groom yourself within the confines of your available senses. 
(Oh yes, this is all possible!)

I would always go home from these meetings with many questions on my heart. Questions that I sought answers for from our Father and Lord. 

"Why can’t you just heal them? 

Why won’t you allow me to do this thru your authority? 

I don’t understand?"

Then one day, I received a very clear answer from the Father and Lord. 

"Why can’t you accept them as they are? 

Why can’t you just be there for them and Love them? 

Why do you always have to have it your way? 

Humble yourself under my hand and I will exalt you in due time."

What a wakeup call. 

"I will do as you ask Father, please forgive me for questioning you."

How humiliating this was! 

I was very ashamed at the recognition of my impudence yet at the same time very grateful for this revelation. And I took His word to heart. 

For the next 17 years I fulfilled my duties with much joy. (I only missed one meeting) I came to be friends with all these people.

I learned to love them with all my heart. I came to share their fears as well as the moments of laughter. My prayers changed for them. I prayed that our Lord would help them and please bless them with His great love. 

I came to learn from my friends that the high light of their life was this monthly meeting that we would share! 

During the month they would just wait at home for the next meeting and in between meetings they would talk to each other on the phone. 

They were always encouraging one another. 

Especially those who were blind for 20 or more years, they were the strong ones. 

I learned that being blind is a life filled with little hope. 
You are abandoned by all your friends. 
You are doomed to a life of loneliness. 
These are the victims my brothers and sisters, the forgotten causalities wrought by this great war we are in.

There is one other thing that I learned and that is what has compelled me to bring forth this message.

Most of the people that are blind are very financially poor. 

They are unable to even acquire the resources that are available to them due to a lack of money. Some of the products geared towards to the blind are very expensive. Most of these folks rely on monthly disability checks for their only support.  (And as we all know, that barely cuts it.) 

In addition to this, I asked a question one day at one of the meetings. "Where are all the Churches? Don’t they come to offer support and help?"

The answer was 
“That’s what we would like to know!” 

I felt like I was just stabbed in the heart! 

I witnessed this for myself, there was no help from the churches in any way shape or form. We have a 1000 churches here in Lancaster County, PA, and I have yet to see even one reach out to help these brothers and sisters of ours. 

This not only angers me, it really shows how deeply the enemy has penetrated into the Body of Christ.

Back in 2007, our monthly group meetings came to an end. Two members of our group still call me to this very day. 

They would always call me to wish me a Happy Birthday (this they would never forget) and a Merry Christmas. 

I am really contemplating starting up this group again, maybe this time the Lord will find me righteous and hear my prayers for my brothers and sisters, for they are my beloved friends.

I am going to close with the following words of Our Father and Lord.

Isaiah – Chapter 58 – Verses 6 thru 12

This is the fast that I have chosen; to loose the bonds of wickedness, to cut off the bands of treachery, to let the oppressed go free, and to break every yoke: to share your bread with the hungry, and to bring the stranger to your house; when you see the naked, to cover him; and to refuse not one of your own flesh. 

Then shall your light break forth as the morning and your righteousness shall spring forth speedily; and your righteousness shall go before you; the Glory of the Lord shall be your reward.  

Then you shall call, and the Lord shall answer you; you shall cry, and he shall say “Here I am.”

 If you remove deceit from your midst and release the prisoners and cease speaking falsehood; and give your bread to the hungry, and satisfy the afflicted soul; 
then shall your light shine in the darkness, and your darkness will be as the noonday: and the Lord shall guide you continually and satisfy your soul with rich food; and strengthen your bones; 
and you shall be like a watered garden, and like a spring whose water fails not. 

And some of you shall build the old waste places; you shall raise up the foundations of many generations; and you shall be called the repairer of the breaches, the restorer of paths to dwell in.

James – Chapter 5 – verse 16

“The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man is powerful.”

The elderly in nursing homes, those in prison, the homeless, the abandoned, the sick in hospitals, the poor... 

These are all casualties crippled by this violent war we are in. 

Let's not forget our brothers and sisters in need who await our open hand.

While writing this message I had a supernatural experience. 

I was overcome by the deep compassion of our Father and Lord. I broke down and cried three times during the writing of this article. These were tears of sadness and repentance. 

An overwhelming compassion besieged my heart. 

I’ve never felt such compassion as this, my heart is crying out ... 

Love,

Brother Greg

How many talents do you have ?

 
Matthew Chapter 25:14-30

[George Lamsa Translation of the Aramaic Peshitta]

It is just like a man who went on a journey, who called his servants and put his wealth in their charge. 

To one he gave five talents, to one two, to another one; to each one according to his ability; and immediately he went on a journey. 

The one who received five talents then went and traded with them, and he earned five others. Likewise the second one, he gained by trading gained two others. 

But he who received one, went and dug in the ground, and hid his lord's money. 

After a long time, the lord of those servants returned, and took an accounting from them. 

Then the one who received five talents came up, and offered five others, and he said, My lord, you gave me five talents; behold, I have gained five others to them. 

His lord said to him, Well done, good and reliable servant; you have been faithful over a little, I will appoint you over much; enter into your master's joy. Then the one with the two talents came and he said, My lord, you gave me two talents, behold I have gained two others to them. 

His lord said to him, Well done, good and reliable servant, you have been faithful over a little, I will appoint you over much; enter into your master's joy. 

Then the one who received one talent also came up, and he said, My lord, I knew that you are a hard man, and you reap where you did not sow, and gather where you did not scatter. 

So I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground; here it is, it is your own one. 

His lord answered and said to him, O wicked and lazy servant, you knew me that I reap where I did not sow, and I gather where I did not scatter. 

You should then have put my money in the exchange, and when I returned I would have demanded my own with interest. 

Therefore take away the talent from him, and give it to the one who has ten talents. 

For to him who has, it shall he given, and it shall increase to him; but he who has not, even that which he has shall be taken away from him. 

And the idle servant they threw into the outer darkness; there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

As I awoke today this parable began crossing my thoughts ...

I have not often pondered on this parable. But today I began to contemplate it after I watched the morning news. The last part of the news was quite horrific. A man and woman were arrested for torturing their 3 year old son. They would duck tape this innocent, little boy to a chair to discipline him. Sometimes they would go so far as to tie him upside down from the ceiling and beat him with a belt. They had been caught and were to be arrested and thrown in jail.

I thought to myself, “What scathing evil I just can't stand this anymore. Enough is enough!”

 

It was then that I began to think about the parable of the talents. Like most members of the body of Christ I have been given at least one talent (gift).

I'm not a big preacher or miracle worker. I'm just an average person who goes to work every day, pays my bills, says my prayers, reads my Bible and engages in fellowship with other believers etc.

In other words, I'm one of those unseen members of the body of Christ.

However I do have something in me that is the greatest gift of all. I have the gift of life in Christ. The Father has put his seed within me and Jesus is my Lord and Savior. I have been blessed with the gift of faith, true love beyond understanding and a fearlessness in all that I do. 

In honesty, I can claim that I have no cares for yesterday or tomorrow. For today is today!

I am one with the Father and our Lord Jesus. His will is my will and that, to be succinct, is all that matters

One more trait that I have in common with our Father and Lord is the earnest desire that all should be saved. 
[ Well all of us should have the desire. ]

Luke Chapter 18:1-8

He also spake to them a parable, that they should pray always and not get weary. There was a judge in a city, who did not fear God, and had no regard for men. There was a widow in that city, and she used to come to him, saying, Avenge me of my accuser. And he would not for a long time; but afterwards he said within himself, Though I am not afraid of God, and have no regard for men; Yet because this widow troubles me, I will avenge her, so that she may not keep coming and annoy me. 
Then our Lord said, Hear what the unjust judge said. Would not God avenge his chosen ones much more, who call upon him day and night, though he has patience with them? I say to you, he will avenge them promptly. But when the Son of man comes, will he find faith on the earth?

Are you tired of all the evil and destruction that the enemy has wraught upon all flesh? Are you tired of all the people we know who have been so deeply apprehended by the enemy and are being destroyed by drug addiction? Do you know a person who is who is as yet unsaved? Do you know a person who is suicidal or in great despair? Do you see all the works of the enemy even in your own backyard, amongst your own family and friends?

I challenge you to start annoying your Father in Heaven.

Pick a person you know who needs to be delivered from the enemy. Present them to the Father at least once every day, twice if you remember. And do not ever give up until you see results.

You may see results in one minute, one hour, one day, one week, one month or one year.

Get the hint?

One day the father will avenge you. And it's His decision when.

They will be saved.

They will be healed.

They will become part of God's kingdom.

And all this transpires because you put your talent to work.

What? You don't think so ?

Luke11:9
I say to you also, Ask, and it shall be given to you; seek, and you shall find; knock, and it shall be opened to you.

 
Over the years I try to keep up-to-date with a prayer list. I petition the Father as often as possible and when I can remember! I admit that I have not done this daily.

However, when I look back at this list I can say that almost all my requests have been faithfully answered. As time goes on I keep adding to the list as well as checking off the answered prayers. One day at a time, I am playing my role in expanding His Kingdom.

Now, the two people that committed the crime, I have mentioned earlier are not on my list. Nonetheless, I have prayed that I'll father would save them and deliver them from the evil one and that is enough.

When I pray for people on my list, I say each person's name and then ask for whatever that persons need might be. I wish I could have everyone on my list, but time does not permit me to do so. I have to trust that the Father hears this once and only prayer.

The whole point is this. Are you going to use at least the one talent that the Lord has given you?

Don't bury it you might lose even that which you have!

May our Father and Lord grant us the love and strength to bring our requests to Him daily until we see victory! 

Use your Talent.

First Thessalonians 5:24
Fateful is He was called you and He will keep his word.

Love,
Your brother Greg.