"By faith Moses, when he was come to years, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter; choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasure of sin for a season; esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures of Egypt: for he had respect unto the recompense of the reward. By faith he forsook Egypt."
(Heb. 11:24-27)

"Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God."
(John 3:3)

While looking forth from the loft and pomp of her palace window one day (in Egypt of old), the carnally compassionate daughter of Pharaoh sighed to behold the hard bondage of her fellow human-being, though Hebrew. Out of the abundance of her burdened and heavy heart, she lamented their condition thus:

"My son, behold! and see their bondage hard,
Their backs bowed down - reputations marred!
My heart is turned, I feel the ache
Of compassion, and I cannot stay!
My son, I see! I see their sighs and hear their groans!
I see their stripes, their scars, torments and broken bones!
Is there nothing that I can do to help my fellow man?
I feel I must devise some plan
Of their deliverance, for I perceive,
Their burdens and their task-masters would they leave,
If only they had one to call,
Someone who heard them when they fall!"

And thus she ran on for sometime, till her rhyming turned to rant. But far below the palace window, the heart of the Hebrew was pouring out a much different tune, which went something like this:

"Almighty God, of the earth and heaven,
To thee thy suppliant bows his knees and makes confession,
That thou art good and doest good;
For I put on raiment and eat my food.
My God, I feel I have more than heart could wish!
The flesh-pot, leaks and onions make a lordly dish!
This bondage is not too hard for me,
For thou art here, my Lord, and this I see:
That when in prison, I am set at liberty,
When in bondage, I am still free,
When in desert, I have a feast,
When a debtor, Thou art my Jubilee!
And so I praise you, my great God and King,
For you have taught me this secret, and thus I sing,
Of a God that's near and hears my call,
And will uphold me that I shall not fall!
Truly, from the depths I say,
That I would not have it any other way!
My condition I would not have altered a degree,
This is freedom, and Egypt's riches slavery!
One last request, upon bent knee I make,
Do not deliver, nor me take,
From this asylum of peace and rest,
Except for my future home: Canaan the blest.
Amen."

Meanwhile, back up in the palace, as Pharaoh's daughter was almost delirious in the multitude of her words, the Princess' son (Moses, by name) had searchings of heart too, and they went something like this:

"My God, I hear my mother, and I see the Jews,
And am at a halt of which way to choose.
She speaks so stirringly of their lot,
Yet why do I envy them in my heart!
She calls them slaves and paints us free,
Yet these walls of gold cry a different story;
They echo of vain pursuits which last a day,
And then are taken or do decay;
They are not real, nor are they lasting,
This pleasing sinful season is soon passing!
I did not choose these riches or wealth,
But was brought up here, and now need help
To escape, to find a way out:
Chains of sinful desire have wrapped my soul about!
Verily, verily! now I see,
That Egypt's freedom is slavery indeed!
But why is my mother so short of sight?
Shrouded in black Egyptian night?
Open her eyes, my God, I pray,
For thou alone can turn the night to day;
Thou only can make the blind to see,
And set the slaves at liberty!
So, my Lord, I end my prayer now,
And walk out on Egypt and their vain show.
I see the riches of thy reproach,
And gladly resign those things I've loved the most:
Riches and wealth, reputation good,
And will gladly have my name run through the mud.
To win your presence is my greatest treasure,
The end of sin's season - my highest pleasure!"

And so were the searchings of heart within and without the palace that day; and so was decided the unchanging fate's of all those involved. Some gained the world and lost their lives, while some lost it all to win the prize!

Where do you stand in the Valley of Decision, dear friend?

And, finally, to you, Mrs. Roth, I say with all sincerity, there is a way out. Moses escaped Egypt, and so can you. If you (or anyone) desires an exit-plan, email me at: [email protected].

May God Have Mercy,
Jake Gardner

The antichrist reigns today in professingly godly, Christian America. The society where we have more "churches" and more "Christians" than any other place at any other time in history, and yet we look more unlike the New Testament than ever before - the Church that Christ shed his blood for! Desperate times surely call for desperate measures. Few will be saved in this generation in which the god of this world, Satan, hath blinded the eyes of the priests and prophets alike, and cast an infernal shade over all the people. O! who will escape this wicked and untoward generation, bent on hell and racing there with both hands taking hold upon the reigns of their lusts in a chariot called "do-what-you-will"?

We live in an hour where the commands of Jesus Christ and the conditions of entering into (and continuing in) discipleship with him are almost altogether excused or explained away. Christ said, "If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple" (Luke 14:26), and he did not apologize for it! Christ said again, "He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me" (Matt. 10:37) - how will you refute the sinless Son of God! It's high time that the professed church of our day stops criticizing Christ's words and lets Christ's words start criticizing them! 

Rolfe Barnard - a late man of God, who though he was termed a Baptist stood against most of the Baptist conservatism of his day - describes the present dilemma we are in today in his sermon, "Utter Committal to Jesus Christ". This is a timely message indeed, for he tells of a generation (which he thought to be breathing down his neck in 1968 - when the sermon was preached) wherein the Antichrist will so fill the very atmosphere of the world with his doctrine that men will really believe that they can have their cake and eat it too! Live in sin and go to heaven at the end of the road. This is very much the air that surrounds such schools of theology as Dallas Theological Seminary, which produces and supports men, not of God, but of compromise, lukewarmness, lasciviousness and ecumenism, such as Richard Foster, Chuck Swindoll and Steve Smith (known for his vile blog posts against us, the church of God at large and the NT witness of what a church is with much fair speeches deceiving the hearts of the simple). These are the men that are "masters of theology" in our day! These are the men that are climbing the corporate ladder of success in most popular churches of our day. God save us from such men, and give us a company of men - not with letters! - but with voices! Voices like John the Baptist (he had some words for the seminarians of his day), the apostles, Stephen the first martyr, etc. Why were the whole lot of men just mentioned utterly persecuted, defamed, and martyred (with only one exception)? Just listen to the messages they were preaching to the religious world of their day and you'll have your answer! Why were men, women and children martyred wholesale in the 1st century? It was because the world hated them, their Lord and their message. Why doesn't the world hate you, reader, like Christ said it would? Are you compromised? Have you bowed the knee to the antichrist? In a generation when his doctrine permeates the very atmosphere of our world, have you just gone with the flow, or have you stemmed the tide? Have you stood in the gap? Have you repaired the breach? O God, open our eyes to our condition and save us all!

(Though the whole sermon is definitely recommended, if you don't have the heart, then please begin listening at 31min. and 45sec. and please do not miss the closing story in the last 8min.) 

We are slandered up and down this country because we simply believe and preach the conditions that Jesus made for discipleship! We are said to teach, "Cutting ties," "Cutting-off family members," etc. I must say that I do believe in cutting ties, as much as that tie has your love, affection and allegiance over the Lord Jesus Christ and his absolute lordship in your life. But to cutting off family members, for the most part any family members related to our church that are presently "cut-off" have cut-off their son or daughter, and not the other way around. When a mother or father no longer desires to talk to their son or daughter unless they won't mention "their God" and the scriptures, is that reasonable behavior? What can a Christian say to such a condition? Most of these parents are willing to accept their other children's openly sinful lifestyles and yet will not tolerate their other child's new-found faith! May God have mercy! (For more insight into our churches current stance and condition in this matter, please read Sean Morris' new blog post: "Slander: The Happy Lot of True Christians").

Beloved reader, a day is rushing upon us wherein this man Christ Jesus, who came from heaven to show us the way to the Father, shall return in flaming fire taking vengeance on them who know not God and obey not the gospel (II Thess. 1:7,8). Are you obeying him? Christ once commanded a man to follow him, but this man's father just died, so the man replied, "Lord, suffer me first to go and bury my father" (Luke 9:59). Did Christ not know that this man's father had just died? was this an appropriate excuse to not obey the Lord Jesus Christ? Christ responded, "Let the dead bury their dead: but go thou and preach the kingdom of God" (Luke 9:60). Did Christ not know that this man was now (most probably) the head of his home and the present head of his mourning mother? Of course! Mark my words, it was not and never will be easy to follow the commands of the Lord Jesus. IT MEANS DEATH. Death to our desires, death to our own way, death to our carnal thoughts of what is seemly or right in a given situation. We must follow Christ full-stop. 

Again, Christ calls another, and he is met with this excuse, "I will follow thee; but let me first go bid them farewell, which are at home at my house" (Luke 9:61). Did Christ have no knowledge of who was back at this man's home? his father, mother, sisters and brethren? Would this excuse avail before the perfect and altogether righteous claims of Jesus the Son of God? NO! Christ, without a stutter, answers the fool, "No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God" (Luke 9:62). I say "fool" because that is precisely what a man is who would hear the voice of the Holy God, and still be willing to turn back around because of the carnal obligations he feels to his natural relations! 

"How can Christ lay such a claim upon me," you may ask? "Does Christ not know that my parents are professing Christians?" "Does he not know that the scripture says to honor your father and mother?" Yes and yes. Nevertheless, the Lord still says, "Follow me." Christ can say this to you regardless of whether he experienced it himself, or not, because he is God; nevertheless, for your sake, he suffered the hardship himself. When Christ was just a child of 12 years, we find him (without asking permission of his earthly father and mother) in the temple discoursing with the doctors of the law - three days separated from his parents! When they finally find him, Mary asks in amazement, "Son, why hast thou thus dealt with us? behold, thy father and I have sought thee sorrowing" (Luke 2:48). Was Christ wrong in his dealings with his parents? Why would he deal with them in such a way, making them sick with sorrow? Christ did not say he was sorry, nor did he in the least bit budge that he could have been in error, but on the contrary turns it to a rebuke of Mary and Joseph, "How is it that ye sought me? wist ye not that I must be about my Father's business" (Luke 2:49)? Christ makes it plain that Joseph (his earthly father, and God-appointed authority in his life) did not claim of him his foremost allegiance, but his true heavenly Father alone did. And so may every regenerate child of God say. 

Later when Christ had entered into his ministry, an instance occurred where his mother and brethren had come calling to him to come out of the house where he sat preaching to the multitudes, and come to them. Can you imagine this? His family (who just earlier in the chapter said that he was crazy - v. 21, see the margin) interrupting the pure words of God! They knew not what they did. Thus Christ asks, "Who is my mother? or my brethren" (Mark 3:33)? Would not this be dishonoring to the woman who bore you?! And thus was fulfilled the scripture, "Who [Levi] said unto his father and to his mother, I have not seen him; neither did he acknowledge his brethren, nor knew his own children: for they have observed thy word, and kept thy covenant" (Deut. 33:9). This is precisely what Christ did - he did not acknowledge his own mother or brethren, but rather acknowledged those about him who were hearing the word of God and doing his will. 

Reckless abandon: this is the way in which we must follow God, there is no other way. God will not have half of our hearts, or allow us to serve him according to our own way that seems right in our eyes. Because this is what God requires from ALL of his disciples - not one excepted - often times he will cross us in the most inopportune times and in the most painful, searching ways. Have you made excuses to the Lord when he called? When he told you to leave parents, home, friends, plans - what did you say?

Praise God that true Christians answer the call! C.T. Studd, for instance, had to deny the will of his own father (who had even formerly been the means to his salvation) in going to be a missionary in China. As he was in the midst of turmoil over this decision, having been clearly led by God and yet having the disapprobation of his father, he was pressed to obey the voice of his Lord, when he was reminded of Christ's warning, "A man's foes shall be they of his own household" (Matt. 10:36). And the fruit of his obedience was, doubtless, thousands brought to the worthy Saviour.

Dr. Vlado Fajfr was a preacher in Czechoslovakia during Nazi Germany as well as under the iron curtain of Communism's rule in Czechoslovakia, post WWII. He was beaten, put in prison, separated from loved ones, interrogated – he was, in essence, a persecuted saint of God. Thus he knew things of Christianity that many in the easy West have no clue about, and, consequentially, we are offended at the ways of Christ on every hand. Listen to the testimonies from the children in the youth meetings they were having in Communist Usti:

" Often in the youth meetings the young people made tearful requests. “Please pray for me. My parents have forbidden me to come. They think I am at my ballet class, but I can't stay away from the youth meeting,” one young girl said.

I need wisdom to know what to do,” another added. “My parents are upset with me because they want me to go to the university. Now that I am a Christian, it is obvious I won't be allowed to go. I wanted to be a teacher, but it's not possible now. Perhaps I can find work on the railroad.”

“I won't be here next week. My parents told me if I continued to come, I would have to leave home. I have nowhere to go,” exclaimed one.

Despite persecution of the young people, they attended the meetings in greater numbers. " (“I Will Fear No Evil” pg. 115).

“Doth this offend you?” (John 6:61).

On the other hand, you have one of the foremost leaders of conservative, Christian America, Bill Gothard, that teaches the opposite. Sad to say that such a man as he should err in such a grievous way; seemingly disregarding such a prominent doctrine (as was just laid out very briefly in the few foregoing paragraphs) when he states in his Basic Seminar that a converted daughter should obey her unconverted father's will even when it is contrary to the will of God. This doctrine, which is an affront to the absolute Lordship of Jesus Christ, has spread like a pinch of leaven abroad among the conservative, home-schooled, Christian America; consequentially, there are doubtless multitudes of children held in bondage to the will of their fallen head, because they think this is honoring to a holy God! Lord, have mercy! Does this mean forsake longsuffering, patience, waiting upon God, etc. Absolutely not! Nevertheless, this is not the hand on which conservative Christian America is erring. They are erring in coming dangerously close to holding hands with the antichrist and parlaying with the devil - all under the guise of biblical subjection! God, raise up more men and women with the heart of C.T. Studd! Who of you can sing with a good conscience, "Though none go with me, still I will follow!"?

Your obligation, my reader, under God, is to "know them" (and "remember them") that are elders indeed, that labor for your soul, "submit yourself" to them, "obey them", and "follow them" (I Thess. 5:12; Heb. 13:7,17). That is, follow no fallen spiritual head, but follow the Lord Jesus Christ, who reigns in his church through delegated authority: "Let a man so account of us, as of the ministers of Christ, and stewards of the mysteries of God" (I Cor. 4:1). A man who still lives today, Richard Owen Roberts, said it well in his pamphlet, The Solemn Assembly, "Part of the corporate sin that must be put away is that spirit of rebellion that exists in many professed Christians that causes them to believe that no spiritual leader can order them about. Such wicked sinners would do well to observe the severity of the denunciations against rebellion and stubbornness recorded in I Samuel 15:23." If you don't know of any elders, then find some. The Lord will lead you if you'd be but willing to do his will. 

This is of the utmost importance for you because the scripture teaches, in no uncertain terms, "Of whom a man is overcome, of the same is he brought in bondage" (II Pet. 2:19). That is to say that you will most certainly follow the course of the man that you choose to subject yourself to spiritually, whether that be in a course of righteousness unto salvation, or of defection unto damnation. God have mercy on you, my reader, in this darkened generation we are living in, when, "The best of them is as a brier: the most upright is sharper than a thorn hedge" (Mic.7:4). O! how, like Peter, I would like to, with many other words, testify and exhort you to save yourselves from this untoward generation (Acts 2:40), but time does not permit me! I implore you, with all that in me is, to please listen, watch and read the attachments in this post, and may God grant you much understanding and clarity in these precious, saving, God-honoring truths. Amen!

Praying For the Peace  of Jerusalem and All of God's Remnant,
Jake Gardner

In all of our looking about upon the evil circumstances which all too often befall good men, we must remember the plain command of our Captain: "Look up!" We shall be most blessed if we take good heed, and if we do not, then we shall smart for our stubbornness. It is an easy thing to see how evil men succeed in their enterprises and how they seem to make headway upon the saints of God. But it is a hard thing, yea, impossible, but for the special eye of faith, to see how that the wicked flourish - yes - but "it is that they shall be destroyed for ever" (Psa. 92:7). Or do you forget, Christian, how that the laws which God has set in order to govern his universe (both spiritual and physical) must stand? not one can be broken? Have you looked upon the way of the wicked so long that you have forgotten the higher ways of God? Their ways are "movable", "unstable as water", transitory as a mist, fleeting as the morning cloud - but, O! brother, remember that the way of the Lord is forever! Does the word eternal not suffice to cool thy trembling heart? God commands that you "look up" now, and see him who is your life, who holds your times in his hand, standing at the right hand of the Majesty on high - all things under his feet and at his feet (that is, ready to do him service), yea, even thy fierce adversary! Even these things which have befallen thee, dear Christian, shall yet work together for your good here, and your glory, when your Judge shall return with rewards in His hand.

There are certain harbingers, or precursors, of judgment that God has revealed in his word which shall most certainly stand though the pride of man doth arrogantly oppose them. One for instance, "Before destruction the heart of man is haughty" (Prov. 18:12). Has God not caused the truth of this pithy line to bear out before the eyes of all the world time after time - both of the believer and the skeptic? When the wicked begin to laugh on earth is when the Lord begins to laugh in heaven. This is the precise time when God settles that "he shall have them greatly in derision" (see, Psa. 2). Do you believe this of your Lord, Christian? Then why all your fretting for the evil doers? When will you be still and know that he is God, and calmly trust that he shall be exalted among the heathen? The command is not that you would stand awhile halting, but that you would obey immediately the call, "Look up!" 

As there are certain harbingers of judgment so are there also of blessings. The aforementioned verse supplies the blessing as well, "Before honour is humility" (Prov. 18:12). How wonderful is this word! Are you nigh crushed by your enemy? Are you humiliated beyond recognition? Are you oppressed in your poverty? Are you afflicted in your affliction? Are you sighing in your neediness? If so, be careful to not count these your curses, on the contrary, my friend, these are your ushers to honour! God in love presses you upon his nether millstone! God in love heats you in his crucible! Take heart then, therefore, when the wicked excel for a time and you are buried in the dust of adversity - this too shall pass away. Changes shall come to both the workers of iniquity as well as to the righteous. As Job, with eyes upward, so let your resolve be, "All the days of my appointed time will I wait, till my change come" (Job 14:14).