“DAWN of LIBERTY” [revival] PERSECUTED LEADER Speaks OUT
“DAWN of LIBERTY”
-Extracts by Michael Phillips.
Dieder Palacki from behind the Iron Curtain addresses the West…
It was several long moments before he at last spoke. “It has
been a curious past several days,” he began, speaking softly.
“I have been listening with great interest to the many discussions
and exhortations, all with the end in view of promoting the
Christian faith in a region of the world where one might conclude
never before had a single soul heard the name Jesus of Nazareth.”
“I must admit that when the invitation came to join you, and even
to address this gathering, I found myself seized with a certain
trepidation. As you know, large assemblies of Christians such
as this have not been customary where I come from, and thus
most of my work among Christians has been in small groups of
less than one hundred. Addressing several thousand I found a
very intimidating prospect.”
“In the end however, I decided to join you, for we pastors and
Christians from the regions formerly behind the Iron Curtain are
certainly excited about the new possibilities for evangelism in our
nations too.”
“But as I listened to more and more talk of money and pamphlets,
of missionaries being sent and books being shipped, of teachers
and pastors coming to help and train us in spreading the gospel,
and of your gospel TV and radio stations and your gospel trains
and gospel trucks full of your Western-style gospel paraphernalia –
your badges and tracts and stickers and music and gaily written
happiness-books with their joy-filled, razzle-dazzle Christianity – a
knot has steadily risen in my stomach.”
“Do not forget, I have spent much time in your countries. I have
been in your churches and bookstores. I have witnessed with my
own eyes the trappings of your so-called spiritual prosperity,
which is really no prosperity at all, but a hollow empty shell.”
“Something within me wants to shout and say to you all, “Go
home to your contented and wealthy homes and communities
and churches. The Good News of Jesus Christ is alive and
vibrant and is fully capable of carrying itself abroad into the hearts
of hungry men and women without the benefit of your expensive
and lavish commercial efforts on its behalf.”
“Why do you think that those of us such as my brothers
Wurmbrand and Duduman and Vins and others have been
risking our lives for all these years? Each of us has been
imprisoned, beaten, tortured, humiliated because of our preaching
of Christ’s gospel. Thousands upon thousands of our fellow Poles
and Russians and Slavs and East Germans have laid their lives on
the line for the sake of their faith and in order to share that faith with
others.”
“I tell you, my friends, God’s church is alive and well in the areas
you represent as lost and in such desperate need. Small, perhaps,
it may be, but it is alive and thriving because in our corners of the
world there is a price to be paid to call yourself a disciple of the
Lord Jesus Christ. A price that cannot be measured, as you seem
to measure all things – by money. No, you who hear my words who
I hope and pray are my brothers and sisters, it costs to believe in
the East. It costs all you have to be a Christian. So there are very
few lukewarm, halfhearted souls among us. To be halfhearted can
cost you your life!”
“For years we have tried to alert you Christians of the West to the
true state of affairs behind the Iron Curtain. We have written, we
have traveled, we have spoken, we have prayed, we have wept.”
“How many of you listened to us?”
“My brother and friend Alexandr Solzhenitsyn attempted for a
decade to be heard, as have so many others. We asked for your
prayers, for Bibles, for help in teaching and training our people.
And some help did come, for which we were grateful.”
“But the rest of you continued to feed your own mammoth
religious systems, building yet bigger and bigger transmitting
stations and more television stations and publishing more books –
all in the name of proclaiming the gospel.”
“But did you ever give of yourselves? Did you come help us? Did
you pray for us? Did you suffer and die and starve with us? How
much did you really care about the people you now so pompously
think you will save for the kingdom?”
“Where have you been all this time? We needed your help and
prayers and support and Bibles when times were hard! We have
been beaten and imprisoned and even killed for the gospel’s sake.
Where were you when it counted? We lived our faith behind the
Iron Curtain, and now that it is down, who is to say we even want
you coming with your pompous egoism and self-reliance?…. Do
you truly expect us to share your enthusiasm and welcome you
and your wealthy brand of capitalistic Christianity with open arms?”
“Think again, my friends, those I would still call my brothers and
sisters in spite of your blindness. Pause and consider the egotism
of your presumption and the worldliness of your method.”
By now the auditorium was filled with the heaviness of shocked
silence. No one dared move a muscle or so much as shift in his
seat. But Palacki’s chastening diatribe was not over yet.
“How dare you well-fed, contented, prosperous Christians of the
West, come here now and think you can throw your money at us
poor unfortunates and suddenly save the world with all the gadgets
and inventions and high-tech wizardry of electronic spirituality! You
with your multi-million-dollar architecturally imposing churches, you
with your computer Bibles and preprogrammed Bible Studies, you
with your posh cars and soft, upholstered pews, your grand libraries
of Christian books, your leather-bound reference Bibles, you who have
all the answers to the world’s ills nicely at hand to spout off when
asked.”
“Have we Christians of the East been idle all this time? What
would you have us to do, go off quietly somewhere so you can
come in and pat yourselves on the back before your watching
congregations and claim credit for saving all the souls who would
be lost without you?”
“No my shallow brothers and sisters of wealthy, contented
Western evangelicalism! Build a prayer tower or a glass church
somewhere, but think not that your money can save souls. Go
back from whence you came, and spend your evangelistic self-
gratifying mammon elsewhere!”
Suddenly he stopped, stood another two or three seconds gazing
at his listeners with calm countenance, yet flaming eyes. Then,
with decisive motion he ripped the check he was still holding into
several pieces and let it drop to the floor.
Palacki turned and strode off the platform and out of sight, leaving
his hearers gaping in stunned silence.
Abiding
“Lord, I Believe; Help Thou Mine Unbelief” [podcast]
“Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth. 24 And straightway the father of the child cried out, and said with tears, Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief.” Mark 9:23-24
God wants us to depend on HIM, not self. What a prayer from this father who was seeking Jesus for his possessed, embattled son!
“And straightway the father of the child cried out, and said with tears, Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief.” Mark 9:24
Now that is a great prayer for us today—“Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief.” Mark 9:24
Is this not kin to the prayer Christ’s disciples prayed to Him—“And the apostles said unto the Lord, Increase our faith” (Luke 17:5) ?
Some ask “Lord, how can I increase MY faith?”
Read that again.
It’s not how I can increase my faith! No. That is all self-centered. We pray as did the apostles, “Lord, Increase our faith.” In other words, You do it please dear LORD!
There are two ways the Word prescribes that we walk in more faith:
Asking for it (Luke 17:5)
Reading and heeding the Word for it—“So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God (Romans 10:17).
“9:24 The father expressed the paradox of faith and unbelief experienced by God’s people in all ages. ‘Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!’ We want to believe, yet find ourselves filled with doubt. We hate this inward, unreasonable contradiction, yet seem to fight it in vain.” Believer’s Bible Commentary
Another person commenting on this text writes:
“Help thou mine unbelief – That is, assist me against it. Give me a power to believe.”
“[Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief] A prayer that all can pray with great profit.” Dake
“VII. The profession of faith which the poor man made hereupon (Mrk_9:24); He cried out, ‘Lord, I believe; I am fully persuaded both of thy power and of thy pity; my cure shall not be prevented by the want of faith; Lord, I believe.’ He adds a prayer for grace to enable him more firmly to rely upon the assurances he had of the ability and willingness of Christ to save; Help thou my unbelief. Note, 1. Even those who through grace can say, Lord, I believe, have reason to complain of their unbelief; that they cannot so readily apply to themselves, and their own case, the word of Christ as they should, no so cheerfully depend upon it. 2. Those that complain of unbelief, must look up to Christ for grace to help them against it, and his grace shall be sufficient for them. ‘Help mine unbelief, help me to a pardon for it, help me with power against it; help out what is wanting in my faith with thy grace, the strength of which is perfected in our weakness.’ Matthew Henry
Learning to trust and depend upon our LORD:
“If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him. 6 But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. 7 For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord. 8 A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.” James 1:5-8
“I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.” John 15:5
“But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.” Hebrews 11:6
“And Jesus looking upon them saith, With men it is impossible, but not with God: for with God all things are possible.” Mark 10:27
“All it takes is a mustard seed of faith to move mountains. Meaning even the smallest of faith can do miracles. It is belief in God not in self that matters. Mark 11:22 says ‘Have faith in God.’ He will provide the increase. Even the disciples prayed for more faith! And we know them to be men of great faith!” Karen Cochran
LET’S PRAY: Holy Father, we come to You now, because we know You are our Source for all blessings and answered prayer. Yet, we lack faith and ask You now to “Increase our faith” and to “help thou mine unbelief.” Please fill in dear LORD where we lack, where we are weak. We know You are all powerful, loving, and desire to and are ready to answer our prayers. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
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Abiding
Run that Ye May Obtain [podcast]
Don’t Walk. “Run.”
Saints we are finishing honest, holy, humble, repentant – crucified with Christ and confessing and never covering any sin (Proverbs 28:13).
1 Corinthians 9:16-27
16 For though I preach the gospel, I have nothing to glory of: for necessity is laid upon me; yea, woe is unto me, if I preach not the gospel!
17 For if I do this thing willingly, I have a reward: but if against my will, a dispensation of the gospel is committed unto me.
18 What is my reward then? Verily that, when I preach the gospel, I may make the gospel of Christ without charge, that I abuse not my power in the gospel.
19 For though I be free from all men, yet have I made myself servant unto all, that I might gain the more.
20 And unto the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might gain the Jews; to them that are under the law, as under the law, that I might gain them that are under the law;
21 To them that are without law, as without law, (being not without law to God, but under the law to Christ,) that I might gain them that are without law.
22 To the weak became I as weak, that I might gain the weak: I am made all things to all men, that I might by all means save some.
23 And this I do for the gospel’s sake, that I might be partaker thereof with you.
24 Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain.
25 And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible.
26 I therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beateth the air:
27 But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.”
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Abiding
“I have Espoused you to one Husband” [podcast]
“And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh.” Luke 21:28
After detailing the things that would be occuring in the earth before His return, Jesus then instructs us what to do: “look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh.”
We’ve come way to far to turn back now.
Now that the LORD has found and saved you, you are now engaged to be married eternally to Christ, the Great Bridegroom.
“For I am jealous over you with godly jealousy: for I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ.” 2 Corinthians 11:2
The word “chaste” is defined this way:
ἁγνός
hagnos
hag-nos’
From the same as G40; properly clean, that is, (figuratively) innocent, modest, perfect: – chaste, clean, pure.
One source notes:
“The phrase “I have espoused you to one husband” is from the Bible, specifically 2 Corinthians 11:2. It is spoken by the Apostle Paul to the church in Corinth, where he uses a metaphor of a father ‘betrothing’ a daughter to a groom. In this context, he is the spiritual father who has led them to believe in Christ, and he has now given them to Christ, the one husband, as a pure virgin bride.
- Spiritual father: Paul compares himself to a father who has arranged a marriage for his daughter.
- The Church as the bride: The church is the ‘daughter’ being given in marriage.
- Christ as the husband: Christ is the one husband to whom the church is being betrothed.
- Purity and faithfulness: Paul’s ‘godly jealousy’ is his fear that the church will be led away from its pure and simple devotion to Christ, much like Eve was deceived. He wants to present them to Christ as a ‘chaste virgin.'”
What bride is Jesus returning for?
“Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; 26 That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, 27 That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.” Ephesians 5:25-27
How we know His bride:
The true bride of Christ that He is returning for is in the Word, being sanctified and cleansed by it “with the washing of water by the word.” Jesus is returning for His remnant body, bride who are known in that they are walking, living in the Word. They are obedient to read and obey Him, it. Read Psalm 1.
“But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night. 3 And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.” Psalms 1:2-3
The Marriage Supper of the Lamb
6 And I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude, and as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of mighty thunderings, saying, Alleluia: for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth.
7 Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready.
8 And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints.
9 And he saith unto me, Write, Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he saith unto me, These are the true sayings of God.
“And Jesus said unto him, No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.” Luke 9:62
“And ye shall be hated of all men for my name’s sake: but he that endureth to the end shall be saved. … 13 But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.” Matthew 10:22; 24:13
“And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not. 10 As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith.” Galatians 6:9-10
PRAYER: Father in Jesus’ name, please make me holy. Anoint my life to the death and burial of self that You might raise me up daily in Your victory and fruitfulness. Unite my heart to fear Thy name dear LORD. Into Your hands I here and now submit my spirit and life. In Jesus’ name.
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