Author: Kyle Fuller

Not long ago, I preached a sermon entitled, ” In the Midst of the Madness” (see our “Teachings” page) in which I compared our current political and ecclesiastical climate here in America with that of the nation of Israel during the time of the Judges. Admittedly, I am a rather long- winded preacher; so, to sum it up, let me just say that there were a lot of crazy things going on. “Each man did what seemed right in his own eyes.”

In the sermon I went on to point out that the book of Ruth was also written during the time of the Judges. The book of Ruth tells of a woman who after losing it all, finds redemption at the feet of a man named Boaz whom she marries.

Today, as in the time of the Judges, we who make up the church are sending out a lot of mixed messages. One group says, “Do it this way” and another group says, “No, it should be done this way.” One group is emphasizing the “prophetic” while another places it’s emphasis on “signs & wonders”. One group says,”We’ve got to maintain some control and do things decently and in order” and another says, “No, you’ve got to let the “Spirit” have his way.”  “Each man did what seemed right in his own eyes.”

Well, in the midst of all this “madness”, as in the story of Ruth, there is a wedding taking place. The Father is drawing us, by his Spirit to come to the feet of Jesus even as Ruth came to the feet of Boaz. Like Ruth, we say, “Spread Your covering over me for You are my Redeemer.” Like Ruth, we are consumed with thoughts of our Husband to be, and have eyes only for Him. As we come to Him at the “threshing floor”, just like wheat is separated from the chaff, He purges us of all that is not pleasing to Him, and we become less concerned with what “is right in our own eyes” and become consumed with love for Him. In the midst of the madness we have only one prayer, “Give me Jesus.”

“There is a tendency in the Church today to emphasize unity and love at the expense of the truth and to speak disparagingly of those who place great emphasis on doctrine and contending for the faith. Those who put “unity” ahead of truth and fail to rebuke today’s false values and superficiality among Christians[… ] who reject the call to repent of false teachings as “negative” and insist that we are now in the greatest revival in history, would do well to take seriously the prophecy spoken during the famous Azusa Street revival in Los Angeles in 1906: ‘In the last days three things will happen in the great Pentecostal Movement: 1) There will be an overemphasis on power, rather than on righteousness. 2) There will be an overemphasis on praise, to a God they no longer pray to. 3) There will be an overemphasis on the gifts of the Spirit – rather than on the Lordship of Christ.’” (Dave Hunt)

The economic situation in America has many gripped with fear. If you listen to talk radio and watch the news you know that many are predicting the collapse of the United States economy all together. Banks are known to “go under” and people are loosing their retirement as an unstable Wall Street wreaks havoc on 401k investments. Housing bubbles,  gold bubbles, debt ceilings, s & p credit ratings… is there anything we can count on?

I Peter 1:3,4 tells us, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, ⁴ to obtain an inheritance which is imperishable and undefiled and will not fade away, reserved in heaven for you.” I like that: a living hope, an inheritance undefiled and imperishable.

Jesus has been raised from the dead, so, not only did He provide this salvation for us by the blood of His cross; but, as the resurrected Lord, He is also the executor of the estate. He is alive forevermore to make intercession for us, to keep us, and insure that we receive the fulness of all that God has given us in Him!

This inheritance we have received in Christ is beyond the reach of corruption. No thief can steal it. It cannot wear out or fade away; but is forever sure and (as my good friend Deana likes to say) rock-solid! And, check this out, He has given us His Holy Spirit as a “first-installment”, guaranteeing a complete payment (Ephesians 1:13,14).

To be sure, in this world, we are facing uncertain times; but, that which Christ has purchased for you, by the offering of Himself upon the cross, is completely reliable; secured by One who has overcome this world and  conquered death, hell, and the grave.

I found this quote by Charles Spurgeon and wanted to pass it along.

“We believe everything which the Lord Jesus has taught, but we must go a step further, and trust him. It is not even enough to believe in him, as being the Son of God, and the anointed of the Lord; but we must believe on him . . . The faith that saves is not believing certain truths, nor even believing that Jesus is a Savior; but it is resting on him, depending on him, lying with all your weight on Christ as the foundation of your hope. Believe that he can save you; believe that he will save you; at any rate leave the whole matter of your salvation with him in unquestioning confidence. Depend upon him without fear as to your present and eternal salvation. This is the faith which saves the soul.” (Spurgeon)

Many are familiar with the writings of R. A. Torrey, and though he died in 1928, his work is still relevant for us today. We tend to place men like Torrey upon a pedestal and they somehow seem far removed from us regular folk.

I wanted to share the following excerpt from Torrey’s testimony in hope  that, in his own words, “many will recognize it as a description of the main features of their own condition.”

“But peace of mind and rest of conscience are not to be found in what the world calls ‘easy circumstances.’ Notwithstanding that I had apparently every reason to be well satisfied with my lot, and every opportunity to enjoy the good things of this world, my mental condition was anything but satisfactory. It is hard to picture the state of a mind subject to increasingly frequent and protracted spells of depression, for which there seemed to be no reason or explanation. Certainly I was thoroughly discontented, desperately unhappy, and becoming more and more an easy prey to gloomy thoughts and vague, indefinable apprehensions. No longer could I find mental satisfaction and diversion in the places and things which once supplied them. My gratifications had been largely of an intellectual order, and my mind had been much occupied in efforts to pierce the veil of the material universe, and to discover what, if anything, lay concealed behind it. This quest had carried me into the domains of science, philosophy, occultism, theosophy, etc., etc. All this pursuit had yielded nothing more reliable than conjecture, and had left the inquirer after the truth wearied, baffled and intellectually starved. Life had no meaning, advantage, purpose or justification; and the powers of the much-vaunted human intellect seemed unequal to the solution of the simplest mysteries. The prospect before me was unspeakably dark and forbidding.” (R. A. Torrey)

Like Torrey, we all suffer a similar malady; whether we are rich, poor, small or great, we have one thing in common: we’re looking for something, someone, anything that will fulfill and give life.

Jesus says, “Come to Me.”