CRUSHED GRAPES MINISTRY |
Frank B. Smith, Director, PO Box 3009, Vista, CA. 92085-3009 |
May 30,2000 Dear Friends and Loved Ones, May the awesome and majestic love of God so fill and surround you with His approval of you and His delight in you, that you become more and more aware of living in His Kingdom and also more aware of the terminal nature of this world. World events continue cascading to the inevitable clash of the forces of darkness and light. Remember, however, that the battle was won on the cross. When Jesus said, "It is finished," the power and authority of our sin was destroyed, AND the power and authority of Satan, AND the power and authority of the kingdom of this world. All future battles and confrontations will only be extensions of His victory already secured no matter how climactic they may seem. Surgery On Monday, May 8, I entered Tri-City Hospital and underwent a hip replacement on the left side for the third time. As the result of an accident as a child I spent several months in a body cast at age 12, and finally had a total hip replacement at age 43. Ten years later the metal shaft had to be replaced, and this time the socket wore out and would not hold the shaft. The surgery went fine, and I am recuperating well. An infection has developed along the incision, but it looks like it is healing now also. Jim and Patty Huber have been graciously tending my needs and allowing me to recuperate at their home at Green Oak Ranch. This allows me to get a little time in at the office and share at some of the meetings. The Spirit’s work continues as Sunday the 21st two were baptized and one more on Thursday, and another one Friday. I praise God for the privilege of being in such a rich harvest of precious people. I consistently think that I shall have lots of wonderful time of fellowship with the Lord in the hospital and while recuperating, and I am always disappointed that it doesn’t happen. It is easier to spend the time with Him in our daily routines, at least it is for me. I did, however, receive a few insights during this time: Insights The pouring out of the wrath of God upon the nations took place upon the cross. The nations are as a drop in the bucket -- they are less than nothing. The wrath of God towards them was poured out on Jesus, and in Jesus there is grace and forgiveness and mercy and kindness. Outside of Jesus, there is only an expectation of wrath and disaster. If our Father allowed Jesus to take the place of the nations, the ethnos, what will He do to those who reject and despise His plan? Armageddon is a terrible, but unnecessary battle that has already been won. We now have the privilege of sharing the victory and setting people free. God was fed up with mankind and wiped them off the face of the earth, except for Noah and his family. After the flood, Noah made a sacrifice and God was pleased - so much so that He said in His heart, the place where decisions affect actions - that He would never again curse the ground because of man, "even though every inclination of his heart is evil from childhood." Gen. 8:21. God put His love on Noah, bad heart and all. God put His love on all of us, bad hearts and all. But, God put His wrath on His own Son so that He could give us new hearts and new lives. Now we are a new creation, born from above, and being renewed in His image and likeness. We are to become sons of our Father by loving our enemies, praying for those who persecute us, and thus being perfect as our Father is perfect. The bottom line application of all this for me was in the area of judgments, of having the insane foolishness to rank anyone as better or worse than anyone else. And especially our disregard of the Master’s will that we all be one by dividing with brothers and sisters over our inappropriate use of doctrine as a higher point of reference than the heart of God. All our judgments and all our unbiblical "religion" is based on the knowledge of good and evil. How asinine to think the fruit that brought death is now bringing something good and wholesome. We are such jerks and we fall so easily for Satan’s tricks. God help us! Another insight was from Jeremiah 30:21NIV, "’Their leader will be one of their own; their ruler will arise from among them. I will bring him near and he will come close to me, for who is he who will devote himself to be close to me?’ declares the Lord." This is in the context of God’s blessing, of the return of the remnant. It is a blessing when leaders arise from the group. This is God’s better way. Leaders who are brought in from the outside can also do well, but God’s best is to raise them up from within. What a blessing to watch the leaders rise up from the midst of the folks here at Green Oak Ranch, and in some of the House Churches. Then there is the part of God drawing the leader to Himself. That stirring and drawing is going on all the time. He is calling, and urging, and inspiring us to draw near to Him. Then the question, THE QUESTION: "who will devote himself to be close to me?" Will you set that as your highest priority in life? Will you make being close to God your chief aim? Will you allow the things of this earth to fade into insignificance compared to this fellowship with God? "I said to the Lord, ‘You are my Lord; apart from you I have no good thing.’" Ps. 16:2. Apart from the Lord do you have any good things? "Because your love is better than life, my lips will glorify you." Ps. 63:3. Is the love of God really better than your life? More important? More meaningful? "My heart and my flesh may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever." Ps. 73:26. Is God you portion in this life? Your reward? Your hope? I entreat you to devote yourself to be close to God, but not to fool around with this kind of dedication. "The way of the Lord is a refuge for the righteous, but it is the ruin of those who do evil." Prov. 10:29 The awesome love of God that is on you is a jealous love. When you get real serious with Him, He watches over you with a new husband’s jealousy that will expose every false way and allow you to live your love on a higher level. "Who is he that will devote himself to be close to me?" Insurance For those who have asked about insurance and finances, I have Medicare only. They pay about 80% of everything which leaves a sizable balance to the hospital and doctors. If God should move you to contribute towards |