Trust

"Trust people and they will be true to you; treat them greatly and they will show themselves great."
Ralph Waldo Emerson

David Wilkerson was an evangelical preacher who is best known for his work among the street gangs of New York in the 1960s and 70s. His story of work among New York City's toughest children and teenagers is told in the book The Cross and The Switchblade and in the movie of the same name. A story that he shares in the book exemplifies what trust can mean to someone.

Nicky Cruz was a young man that Wilkerson met in the streets. The first time they met Cruz pulled a knife and told Wilkerson he would kill him if he came near. Nevertheless, Wilkerson persisted and convinced many of the youth to come to a rally at a rented facility. This was a massive undertaking which required busing the children from different gangs across town to keep them from fighting as they went through a rival gang's territory. Nothing like it had ever been attempted before and all the critics said it would fail.

During the rally when it came time to take the offering Cruz was the one chosen. They passed an offering plate and he and several of his fellow gang members were asked to go through a side door and bring it up onto the stage. All the youth began to laugh and Wilkerson knew why.There was also an exit from that side door out onto the street and everyone knew that Nicky would simply take the money and leave: but he didn't. In his own words, Cruz later testified: "When I went out of that side door with the money it suddenly dawned on me that the preacher trusted me. In all my life no one had ever trusted me before." This trust opened the door to Nicky's heart and his conversion. In time Nicky Cruz became a well known minister himself and continued Bro. Wilkerson's work among the gangs.

Is there someone in your life that is hard to deal with? Someone that seems to make the same mistakes again and again. Perhaps they just need someone to believe in them, to believe they can be different. You just might be that someone if you won't give up. After all, a little trust goes a long way.

Trusting Him Daily,

Spanish Pastor Jones 

What shall it profit?

Mark 8:36

For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?

As I look around on all that is happening in our world it is obvious to me that democracy has failed? What do I mean? Well let's look at the facts. We live under the rule of  a government where the two main political parties can not agree on anything. We have politicians from both sides who have been accused and sometimes convicted of scandals that have rocked the world. Our country is in a mess and no one can agree on how to fix it. It is obvious to met that democracy (or a republic) has failed.

We can look at other forms of government that have failed. The Roman empire eventually failed as did the Greek and Persian empires before it. The socialist idea of a communal government  has always failed as was proven when the U.S.S.R. fell apart. There was a time when most of the countries of Europe were ruled by Kings and Queens and these too failed. Why? The reason is simple. Without God, man's idea of equality and fairness will always fail.

We can go all the way back to the Biblical world for more examples. Israel decided they wanted a king but when they got Saul he was a wicked man and they were soon disappointed. Even the beloved King David fell into sin and betrayed his own friends and fellow countrymen as a whole. Almost every King after David was increasingly more wicked than the ones before him. The idea of a kingdom failed.

But why did they want a king in the first place? Simple. For many years they had been ruled by judges who were supposedly set in place by God. They were tired of judges who claimed to speak for God but served only themselves. They had no voice to oppose what the judge deemed was right or wrong. They somehow thought a king would be better than this. After all, how could anything be worse? But we know that it was indeed worse.

After all these failed forms of government it seemed that the next step would be a government where the people could speak for themselves. But, as we have seen, this too has failed. Failed in its attempts regenerate mankind and make him a better person. Failed in its desire to rid society of crime, racism, and a myriad of other evils. Failed.

With all this failure, is there any hope? The Bible tells us that a man will arise that will claim to have all the answers. He will be the one who knows how to settle the fighting in the middle east. He will know how to bridge the gap between rich and poor, religious and non-religious, people of different religions and so forth. He will seem to have all the answers. Yet we know that the man I speak of is what the Bible calls the anti-Christ. Ultimately, he will turn against the people of God and even fight against God himself. Yet his government too shall fail.

The only true hope for anyone in this world is Jesus Christ. The only safe haven is the church. The church that will taken out of this world when Jesus Christ comes to claim his own. We can build kingdoms and castles here in this life but they will eventually crumble and fall. The only way to be sure of anything is to make sure our hearts and lives are right with God. For what will it profit us if we gain the whole world but lose our own souls?

Trusting in Jesus,

Sullivan Jones

The Battle for America

Corrie ten Boom and her sister Betsie watched in stunned silence as her mild mannered father reacted so angrily to the Prime Minister's announcement that there would be no war. He jumped up and snapped the radio off and just as quickly the fire went out of his eyes. But it was his words that stunned them the most: "It is wrong to give people hope when there is no hope. There will be a war. Holland will fight and Holland will fall. I feel sorry for all Dutchmen who do not know the power of God." Just a few hours later Holland was plunged into WWII and in only five days fell to German hands.

On the fifth day they were walking down the street when a window opened and a lady announced that Holland had surrendered. With tears in his eyes a young man looked at Father ten Boom and announced, "I would not have surrendered. I would have fought." "That is good, my son", He replied, "For Holland's battle has just begun."This afternoon these words came to me as I waited for my wife to complete her errands in the store. It was if I could hear God whispering into my spirit, "America's battle has just begun." 

I would read The Hiding Place and wonder if ever I would have adventures such as these. I realize now that as a child I didn't truly comprehend the horror of what those involved endured. Yet there was one thing I did understand: God saw them through. I am not a doom and gloom prophet but I know what the scripture says. Not only the battle for America but the battle for our world has just begun. Even if our economy takes an upturn tomorrow and government works out its problems we are still in trouble. The spirit of anti-Christ has risen in our world in a way that we have not seen in a long time. Scriptural prophecy is being fulfilled before our eyes every day and by and large people are unaware of it. God's people do not realize how close the coming of the Lord is.

Yet these things do not make me fearful for in the midst of all these troubles God's church is destined to have  great revival. And even more than that we must remember the words of Jesus: "When these things begin to come to pass, lift up your heads for your redemption draweth nigh." I would like to echo the words of Casper ten Boom. I feel sorry for every American today who does not know God. But I have nothing but joy in my heart for those who do. This world is about to see the wrath of the anti-Christ and the judgment of God such as it has never seen. And yet our world is about to see God exalt his church. Then one day soon his church will be caught out of this troubled world to forever be with the Lord.

 If I knew I were not right with God today, I would not delay. I would get my heart right with Him. For it is in Him and Him alone that our hope lies. Only in Him can we truly have security for the future! His retirement plan is out of this world!