Vol. 29, No. 2  February, 2005

MARRIAGE, the MEANING, and ME

The greatest issue facing America today is the decay of our homes. I know that some have the idea that the problems we are facing today are the result of removing the Bible from our classrooms. And others say that it is all because we have had prayer removed, or the Ten Commandments removed from our society. And other things could be mentioned. Something else happened before these things came along. These things, along with crime, drugs, violence, immorality, and the general decay we see are just surface symptoms that indicate a far deeper problem. To try and fix these things is like putting a band-aid on a cancer. The problems lie deeper. There can be no greater work today than to work on our homes. Now,

the things that I wish to share with you today, I speak from the Christian point of view. If you are not saved today, saved from the penalty, and power of sin, the only thing that I can say to you is that I do sincerely pray that today you will receive the Lord Jesus Christ as your own personal Saviour. The things I wish to share with each of you today are

the teachings of The Word of God, (KJV). We cannot force the things of the Bible on those who are not Christian. That is not what we are attempting to do. The Christian, however, should want to please God in all that we do. So the message today is for those of us who name the Name of Christ. It is difficult to know just where to start, so let us start at the beginning?

1. MARRIAGE.   The oldest Divine institution is Marriage. In the very beginning, God CREATED Man and Woman, brought them together and instituted Marriage. This is God’s Plan. It cannot be improved, it needs to be maintained. Please read the verses that are listed in this message. We do not have the space to print them all. Read Genesis 1:26-30, Gen. 2:18-25. “And the rib which the Lord God had taken from man made He a woman, and brought her unto the man. And Adam said this is bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh, she shall be called woman because she was taken out of man. Therefore shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall cleave unto his wife, and they shall be one flesh.” (Gen 2:22-24) See Matthew 19:1-6, 1Cor. 11:3. Now, there is NOT the first hint, nor can one form any kind of asensible opinion from these and countless other references concerning Marriage, that people of the same sex are to be married. This sin is strongly denounced in the Bible.  This is just NOT in the plan of God. The Bible, and nature itself teaches different. So, Marriage is the joining together of a MALE and a FEMALE   in Marriage as instituted by God in the Garden of Eden.

2. the MEANING.  Let me share with you some of the things that Marriage is Meant to be.

(A) Marriage is MEANT to be life’s closest relationship. Man and Woman complement each other. “And the Lord God said , it is not good that the man should be alone. I will make an help meet for him.” (Gen. 2:18). Man and Woman were made for each other. Our bodies, our temperaments, our minds complement one another.  The closest thing on earth that illustrates  the relationship between Christ and His Church is the happy union between Husband and Wife. “For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh. This is a great mystery, but I speak concerning Christ and the Church.” Eph 5:31-32). One Man, and one Woman united in Marriage for life is what Marriage is meant to be.

(B) Marriage is MEANT for the propagation of the human race.

Children are to be recognized as a gift from God. See Psalm 127, 128. We have generations of fatherless and motherless children. Children who are victims, who were brought into this world by parents who had no concept of God and His plan for Marriage and reproduction. I believe that the worst thing that can happen to a child, apart from abuse, is to be separated from parents. A great number of children are born out of a lustful relationship that lasted for a few weeks, or for a few months. This is not God’s plan for propagation of the human race.

(C) Marriage is MEANT for the proper use of sex, that it may serve human life and not pollute it. (Genesis 2:24-25) “Marriage is honorable in all, and the bed undefiled, but whoremongers and adulterers, God will judge.”  (Heb 13:4).

See 1Cor 7:2-5, v9.

Marriage demands fidelity in the husband-wife relationship. “Know ye not that your bodies are the members of Christ? Shall I then take the members of Christ and make them the members of an harlot? God forbid.What? Know ye not that he which is joined to an harlot is one body? For two saith He shall be one flesh. But he that is joined to the Lord is one spirit. Flee fornication. Every sin that a man doeth is without the body, but he that committeth fornication sinneth against his own body. What? Know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost, which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price, therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit which are God’s.” (1Cor 6:15-20). Flee fornication. Think of Joseph in Egypt as he flees from Potiphar’s   wife as she tried to seduce him. (Gen 39).

(D) Marriage is MEANT to be monogamous. It is meant to be a lifetime partnership. The bond is not to be broken. Mt 19:4-9, “Have ye not read that He which made them at the beginning made them male and female. And said for this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall cleave unto his wife, and they twain shall be one flesh. Wherefore they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder.” V9 says that Fornication is the only reason that the marriage bond may be broken. See 1Cor 7:10 ,11. Divorce is easy to obtain, but hard to live with. Someone has rightly said that in time, you can get over the death of a loved one, but divorce is for life. I am well aware that some of you who read this just now are victims of a broken marriage, and have re-married. Remember ,  God is a loving and forgiving God. Give Him your heart and marriage, and make the best marriage you can with God’s help. You can make it work. For those of you who may be living together apart from the marriage bond. Get out of if, today. Get married. Make it right at the beginning, and it will end up right. Many, many have tried living together without marriage only to find out that it does not work.  

3. ME.Marriage, the Meaning, and “Me.”

Lets us look at ME  as the husband, and MEas the wife, and MEas the child, and see what the Bible says to each of us.

(A) ME. The husband, or, the male part. Let “ME” assume my role as husband as taught in the Bible. Again, I know that this is not politically correct, but I am not trying to be politically correct. I am to be the Example of Love, Spirituality, and training.

(a) The Example of Love. “Husbands, love your wives even as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for it.” (Eph 5:25) “So ought men love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth himself. For no man ever yet hated his own flesh, but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as Christ the church.” (Eph 5:28-29). Spousal abuse is a horrible crime. Recently, a man in California was convicted of murdering his wife and unborn child. I cannot begin to imagine such. What a horrible crime. The example of love is Christ’s Love for the Church, and He gave Himself for it. In like manner, I am to love my wife, my children. Let every husband consider these great truths in relationship to our wife:

Understanding.   A woman is different. She goes through cycles, mood changes. We must be understanding. “Likewise ye husbands   dwell with them according to knowledge, giving honor unto the wife as the weaker vessel.” (1Pet 3:7-8)

Tenderness. Col 3:12-14.

Honesty. Eph 4:23-25.

Kindness, Eph 4:30-32.

I am not to spend time in trying to change Her, I should try to change ME.

Never be abusive to your wife, or treat her like some door mat. Love her. She will respond to love.

(b) The example of Spirituality. “But I would have you to know that the head of every man is Christ, and the head of the woman is the man, and the head of Christ is God.” (1Cor 11:3) See also vs 7-9.   There is a Divine order about creation, about nature, about the animal kingdom, and there is Divine order about the home. Please see   Gen. 3:16,

Gen 18:19, Eph 5:23, 1Peter 3:1, God looks to the husband and father to be the Spiritual leader in the home. The husband is to be the leader in Bible Study, in family prayer, and in public worship. It is the man’s responsibility to lead his family in spiritual matters. It is the man’s responsibility to see that his family is in Worship services at the proper time. The growing problem is that few men assume their responsibility and leave this to the wife. This is not right. God is not well pleased, and many prayers are hindered because of such. See 1Peter 3:7.

(c) The example in training. “And ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath, but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.”(Eph 6:4)

Nurture, meaning “care, training, upbringing.”   It pictures the care of plants. Proper care of plants makes the difference   between a poor plant and a good plant.

Admonition, meaning “To warn, to reprove.”  We are to train our children to fear God, to reverence God and to obey His Word.   (Pr. 13:24, Pr. 19:18, Pr. 22:15, Pr 23:13, Pr. 29:15, Pr. 29:17. Children are to be counted as people, and not as  “things. ” The father who honors the Lord will have very little trouble in gaining the love of his wife and respect of his children.

(B) “ME,” the wife, or the female part.

The wife is to be in subjection to the husband. You can read that in Eph 5:22-24, 1Peter 3:1-6, Gen. 3:16. I can almost hear the words; ?” Me, be in subjection to him? You must be kidding.”  I am only telling you what the Bible, (KJV) says. You just do your part, and be a sweet submissive wife, and see just what God will do in your life. Don’t try to assume his role. And remember, you are not just submitting to your husband, you are submitting to God’s Word. He will honor that. And by the way, there is a mutual submission. The husband is to do “Likewise” (1Peter 3:7) Remember, the purpose for woman’s creation was to be a wife, (Gen 2:18-24) Equality with man is a terrible burden for a woman to bear. Women are different. Women are wonderfully good at being women and superior at being female, but not so good in assuming a man’s role. Some women have this burden placed upon them, and they have a heavy burden in life, this should not be so. Spend time in reading what the Bible says about a wife. There are many good books by Christian authors for you to read, and read a good book on marriage written by a Medical Doctor. God bless every wife and mother who is doing her best to live according to God’s plan.

(C) “ME,”the child in this marriage.

What does the Bible say?   “Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. Honour thy father and mother which is the first commandment with promise. That it may be well with thee, and thou mayest live long on the earth.” (Eph 6:1-3). There are at least three things listed in these verses for every child.

(a) This is right. This is the responsibility of every child. If a child does not learn to honor and obey his parents at home, he will not obey the teacher in school, he will not obey the stop sign, or the speed limit, and so on in life. Respect for authority begins in a child’s obedience to parents.

(b)This is a Commandment of God. It is not a suggestion. See Ex. 20:12.

(c) It brings blessings. “My son, hear the instruction of thy father, and forsake not the law of thy mother. For they shall be an ornament of grace unto thy head, and chains about thy neck.”(Pr. 1:8-9).  

I must bring this message to a close for now. There is so much more. I am still learning. In fact, I have been married to the same girl for over 50 years. The things that I have tried to share with you will NOT work if you are not a Christian. You must first ask Christ into your heart. You must believe with your heart what the Bible says about you, that you are a sinner, lost without God. You must believe what the Bible says about Christ; That He paid our debt of sin by His death on the Cross, and by His Glorious Resurrection to be our Living Saviour. You believe these things the Bible says, and you receive Christ by telling Him that you receive Him. The Bible says, “Ask, and ye shall receive.” Do that just now. God will hear the cry of a repentant heart. And then, build a happy Christian Home and Marriage. The things that I have shared with you are NOT emergency room ” fix-it’s” but a lifestyle. I have seen many marriages begin to fail, and that couple adopts the idea that they must begin to attend church somewhere. So they attend a church for a week or two, and things never get better. This again is a lifestyle.

This is a life of me learning about her, and her about me. This is me learning that she is different. That her feelings are tender, that her moods are changing. This is a life of me learning , praying, and seeking the will of God in every problem of life.

Yes, the problems of America are great and varied, but the basic problem is the decay of the American Home. Work on your home. Sacrifice, and give it your best shot. Gibbon, in his Book, “The Rise And Fall Of The Roman Empire” listed five things that brought the empire down. The top of that list was; “The rapid increase in divorce, the undermining of the sanctity of the home which is basic to society.”

God bless your Christian Home. God bless my Christian Home. THINK ABOUT IT?The sweetest place on earth is a Happy Christian Home.  

Vol. 30, No. 12 December, 2006

CHRIST, FOR ALL TIMES
By Pastor George Mills

“Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and today, and for ever.” (Heb 13:8).

We greet you in the Name above every name, the Name of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. At this time of year when we look forward to Christmas

Day, let us not forget what Christmas Day is all about. I trust that each of you will enjoy this time of year. I hope for each of you all of the sweetness that this season promises. Most of all, I wish for you, Jesus!

Jesus is the Reason for the Season. Jesus is the Hope for the hopeless, the Right for the wronged, and the Saviour for sinners. I trust that you know, and love Him today. If you do not know Him, please take time to read and consider these things.

1. CHRIST WAS BORN INTO TIME. At this time of year we celebrate His Birth. We will sing about His Birth. Every message we hear in December will be about His Birth. Every Christmas card we send will be about His Birth. This is a happy time. We celebrate His Birth. But really, He always was. There never was a time when He did not exist. He is the Ancient of Days. He is the Eternal One. He is the Jehovah of the Old Testament. He is the Everlasting Father. He is from everlasting to everlasting. The Christmas message then is, He, who is Eternal, was born into time. He is Emmanuel, God with us. God came down on Christmas Morn to become us, to take our nature, to take our sin upon Himself, to be our sin bearer. “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by Him (Jesus) and without Him was not anything made that was made.”(Jn 1:1-3) “And the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His Glory, the Glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of Grace and truth.”(Jn 1:14). ETERNITY came to TIME. He came to where we are.

2. CHRIST WAS BORN ON TIME.

“But when the FULNESS of TIME was come, God sent forth His Son, made of a woman, made under the Law.” (Gal 4:4) When the time was right. When the nations of the world were right, when the languages of the world were right, when governments, religion, when things were right IN GOD’S TIME, Christ was born, on time. His Birth was a surprise to everyone. Nobody was expecting Him to be born at that time, where He was born, and how He was born. Kings asked questions. Angels announced, Heaven rejoiced, and doubters said, “This cannot be.” Wise men searched the Scriptures and found, “But thou Beth-lehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall He come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel whose goings forth have been from of old, from EVERLASTING.”(Micah 5:2) Now, if you happen to have a N.I.V. “bible” this verse in Micah will not read like that. That same verse will say something about “origins” and “ancient times.”That’s  faulty.

Christ was born INTO TIME and ON TIME. How about December 25, does this date fit into the promise of ON TIME?I do not know that December 25 makes any more difference than say, June 15. Let me share with you the following from some notes I have collected through the years. I do not know who did the research, but I sorta checked and found this to be very interesting. “We can learn some things about the birth of Christ from the schedule of the Priesthood found in the first chapter of the Gospel of Luke. We know that the Hebrew calendar begins with the Month Nisan (Abib), or, our Month of April. We know that the Passover was dated on the 14 th day of Nisan (Abib). Following Passover was the Feast of unleavened bread, (seven days, Nu 28:16-18). In Luke 1, we see that Zacharias was a descendant of Abijah, (Abia), 1Chr 24:7-10. We know from that text that the course of Abijah, (Abia) served in the eighth month of the Hebrew calendar, which is our Month of October. According to the Priestly schedule, Zacharias served until the end of October. After his term, his wife Elisabeth conceived, as the Angel Gabriel had promised, (Luke 1:8-25). This promised son is John, the Baptist. The Bible says in Luke 1:24 that when Elisabeth conceived, she hid herself five months. That would mean that Gabriel appeared to Mary on March 31, or, in the 6 th month of Elisabeth’s pregnancy, (Luke 1:36). 270 days from the annunciation of Christ’s birth would be December 25. Of course the Hebrew calendar has 354 days instead of 365 days. The Hebrew calendar would give a 13 th Month, (Ve-dar) every three years to make up the difference. So, December 25 is probably a good date for the Birth of Christ.”  As I said, whether December 25, or June 15, or any date in between makes no difference. Christ was born ON TIME, “In the fullness of time.”

3. CHRIST DIED IN DUE TIME.

“For when we were yet without strength, IN DUE TIME Christ died for the ungodly.” When the time was right, Christ was born, and when the time was right, Christ died on the Cross to pay the price for our sin. “For He hath made Him to be sin for us, who knew no sin that we might be made the Righteousness of God in Him.” (2Cor 5:21). This is the Christmas story. I trust that in all of this season of shopping, fellowship, family gatherings, and happy times, Jesus Christ and His coming to earth to purchase our redemption will be the center of everything we do. Are we beginning to see that God has a plan, a pattern for everything He does? Nothing is by chance, or accident. At The Saviour’s Birth, Herod the King tried to kill Him, (Mt 2:16-17). During His Ministry there were plots to kill the Christ, (Jn 11:47-57).   Some wanted to stone Him, (Jn 10:31-39). They tried to push Him off a cliff and kill Him,(Lk 4:28-30). Christ did not come to earth to die at the king?s decree, or to be stoned to death, or to drown in a storm at sea. He came to die on a Cross in full payment for our sin IN DUE TIME, in God’s time, on time, in time, for all time.

4. CHRIST WAS RAISED FROM THE DEAD AT THE RIGHT TIME.

No grave could hold Him. He told His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem to die on a cross and to be raised from the dead on the third day, (Mt 16:21, 17:23). He died on Thursday. Sunset Thursday to sunset Friday is one day. Sunset Friday to sunset Saturday is the second day. Sunset Saturday to sunset Sunday is the third day. The Bible says, “Now upon the first day of the week, (Sunday) very early in the morning, they came unto the sepulchre bringing spices which they had prepared, and certain others with them. And they found the stone rolled away from the sepulchre. And they entered in and found not the Body of the lord Jesus.” (Lk 24:1-3). “He is not here, for He is risen as He said.” (Mt 28:6). He was born on time, He died on time, He was raised from the dead on time, in God’s time, for all time.

5. CHRIST ASCENDED INTO HEAVEN FOR A TIME.

“Who being in the brightness of His Glory, and the express image of His Person, and upholding all things by the Word of His Power, when He had BY HIMSELF purged our sins sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high.” (Heb.1:3). He is now in Heaven, FOR A TIME. “The Lord said unto my Lord, sit Thou at My right hand UNTIL I make Thine enemies thy footstool.” (Ps 110:1, Heb 1:13). Today, Christ is in Heaven as our Eternal High Priest.   He invites us to “Come boldly unto the Throne of Grace that we may obtain mercy and find Grace to help in time of need.” (Heb 4:14-16) He is our loving, sympathetic High Priest. He was touched with the feelings of our infirmities. He knows our hurts, our weaknesses.   Have you talked with Him lately? He is waiting to hear your voice. You do not have to get someone to do your praying. You do not have to dial some “religious headquarters”or some “800 “number. You have access to Him. He bought that right especially for you. (Eph 2:14-22)

6. CHRIST IS COMING AGAIN IN GOD’S TIME.

Today, Heaven holds Christ until the time of restitution, (Acts 3:21). Restitution meaning when Israel is restored in the land. Since the Cross of Calvary, God has been busy doing two things; (A) He is gathering from all nations a people for His Name, called the Church. This Gospel call has been going out for almost 2,000 years now. (B) God has also been moving nations, setting up nations, and pulling down nations in preparation for the Return of Christ to this earth to reign on the Throne of David for a thousand years. Today, many are making much of the world conditions, especially in the Middle East. “Surely, all of these things tell us that Christ is coming soon,” they say. “China is as was predicted, the European nations are as predicted, Russia is as predicted, and the Middle East is as predicted. We have this all figured out. Lord, you can come back any time, we have everything in place.”Jesus told us not to be upset at the moving of nations, world conditions, wars, rumors of wars, for these things must come to pass. Read Matthew 24. We do not know the time of His coming. Things may look right, or things may seem to be right, but these things could fit into many places and times in history. We just do not know. And Israel being in the land is NOT the fulfillment of Ezekiel 38-39. Israel is in the land because MAN voted Israel back in, in 1948. If man voted Israel in, man can vote Israel out. Remember, God said, “I will scatter you among the nations, and I WILL bring you back.” When God brings Israel home, the world will know it. I would like for you to consider two verses that I believe are prophecy concerning Israel. In Matthew 27:25, Israel made the most dreadful request ever made; “Then answered all the people and said, His blood be on us AND ON OUR CHILDREN.” Israel faced their Messiah, and cried for His Blood. Jesus said in John 5:43, “I am come in My Father?s Name, and ye receive Me not. If another shall come in his own name, HIM YE WILL RECEIVE.”This one coming in his own name is the antichrist. One day the GOSPEL OF THE KINGDOM, (not the Gospel of Grace) will call Israel home. (Mt 24). The children of the Israel of Matthew 24 will face the antichrist, the deceiver. Many will be deceived, and bow to the antichrist, and receive his mark. A few will not. “And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved, but for the elect’s sake, (Israel) those days shall be shortened.”(Mt 24:22). But before all of that dreadful time on earth called the Great Tribulation period, one day, the Church will be completed. The last one will hear the Message of the Gospel of Grace, believe that message, and that will end the age of the Church. Christ will return in the Rapture, not to earth, but in the air, to call his Church home, (1Thess 4:13-18). That Glorious event could be at any time. There are no signs we are supposed to look for. We are to be about His business of Taking His Gospel of Grace to the nations. His coming in the Rapture is imminent, or at any moment. “Even so, come Lord Jesus.” Today, Heaven holds Him FOR A TIME.

7. CHRIST WILL ONE DAY END TIME.  

At the end of the Tribulation period in Rev 19, the Lord Jesus will come back to earth and destroy the nations that are gathered against Israel. The antichrist will be cast alive into the lake of fire, and Satan will be bound for a thousand years. Surviving Israel will see their Messiah, “And one shall say unto Him, what are these wounds, (not scars) in thine hands? Then He shall answer, those with which I was wounded in the house of my friends.” (Zech 13:6). Israel will see The Messiah, and there will be a time of mourning. “I will bring the third part through the fire, and refine them as silver is refined, and will try them as gold is tried. They shall call on My Name, and I will hear them, and they shall say, The lord is my God.” There will be that thousand year reign of Christ on the earth. Israel will beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more.? (Isa 2:4). There will be peace on earth while the Church is at home in Heaven. At the rapture, we have passed from Time to Eternity. You can read about our Eternal Home in Rev. 21-22.

Christ alone makes us ready for TIME and ETERNITY. So much more to say about this but I have not the space. I urge you today, while we still have today, that if you do not know Jesus Christ as your Saviour, I hope that you will ask Him to forgive your sin. Tell Him that you accept, that you trust His finished work on the cross. Tell Him that you receive Him as your Saviour, today. “But as many as received Him to them gave He power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on His Name.” While millions around the world are celebrating Christmas, Let us celebrate CHRIST. He is Christmas. He is Christ for All Times.

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 Mrs. Mills and I, and everyone here at the WILDERNESS, The Yukon Baptist Church family, all wish for each of our readers across the nation, and our Internet readers, listeners. Those of you who are in the various prisons, and all of you whom we are in contact with each day, we wish for you a Joyous CHRISTMAS, and a very Happy and prosperous new Year. We thank you for your prayers, support, and so many nice things. Thank you, and God bless each of you.

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AND THE WORLD IS A WILDERNESS, It is no friend to the Christian. At this season, gifts will be sent in the name of a “friend” who is not a friend. God’s Gift has been sent in the Person of our unfailing Friend, Jesus.

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THINK ABOUT IT! The empty tomb, and in empty hearts is where God displays His Power. Is your heart empty? Ask God to fill that emptiness today. Trust Jesus.

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                             THINGS I’D HATE TO BE

                               By Pastor George Mills

Above all else, I’d hate to be,  The tree that made the cross where He,

     Did die in bitter agony, That’s what I’d hate to be.

I hate to think that I would be, A nail that held Him to the tree,

     When Jesus bore sin’s penalty, That’s what I’d hate to be.

I’d hate to be the hammer used, The day His grace, they all refused,

     When Jesus suffered and was bruised,  That’s what I’d hate to be.

I’d hate to be the sword that day,They used to take His life away,

     And under wrath He died that day, That’s what I’d hate to be.

I’d hate to be the thorn that grew, With roses as they kissed the dew,

     And have a part in his death too, That’s what I’d hate to be.

I’d hate to be within that throng,  The day they ushered Christ along,

     And have a part in all that wrong, That’s where I’d hate to be.

The tree, the nail, the hammer used,The sword, the thorn, the Saviour bruised,

     The Hurt, the pain, His love refused,  That’s what I’d hate to do.

To be a part of one of these,  Not me, I never will.

     But when I see cruel Calvary,  I’m ALL of these, but still,

His Grace is poured abundantly,  His pardon is Divine,

     I had a part in that great wrong,  He paid the part of mine.

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ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS?

“What do you believe about Repentance and Faith?”

Ans..I believe that Saving Faith and Repentance are inseparable Gifts of God?s Grace. You can?t have one without the other.

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“Are you a Calvinist? Do you believe in the five points of Calvinism?”

Ans…No, and No. The five points in Calvinist doctrine spell the word “TULIP.” Let me share my thoughts.

T. T is for Total depravity. Yes, I do believe that man is totally depraved. I believe that the first three chapters of Romans along with many more passages make it very clear that man is a sinner. But total depravity does not mean that man does not have the ability to call upon God for Salvation. There are too many calls for sinners in the Bible to say that man cannot come to God. Yes He can. “Whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.”

U. U is for Unconditional Election. The Calvinist doctrine teaches that some are elected to salvation, and some are not. Elect must always be within the text you find it. Election, God’s foreknowledge, and man’s Free Will are two tracks that hold up the Gospel train. Both are in the Bible. I have listened to the educated, the scholar explain their view on election. When it was over, I still could not understand what they said, and I do not believe that they understood what they said. No, I do not believe in Unconditional Election.

L. L is for Limited Atonement. By limited atonement the Calvinist means that Christ atoning death is for the Elect only. The Bible (KJV) says, “And He is the Propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.” (1Jn 2:2) Christ’s finished work is sufficient for the sins of everyone.

I. I is for Irresistible Grace. Calvinist doctrine says that man cannot resist the Grace of God, that you cannot resist the Holy Spirit.   Not true!   Acts 7:51, “Ye do always resist the Holy Ghost, as your fathers did, so do ye.”  “Because I have called, and ye refused. I have stretched out my hand, and no man regarded.?”(Pr 1:24). The only reason why someone is not saved today is because he or she has resisted the Holy Spirit.

P. P is for Perseverance of the Saints. Perseverance has the idea of holding on, or, to persist. While I do not believe in perseverance, I do believe that the Saints are PRESERVED. See Jude 1, “To them that are sanctified by God the Father, and PRESERVED in Jesus Christ, and called.”

No, I am Not a Calvinist.

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“Is there a plan of Salvation for Gentiles, and a different plan of Salvation for the Jews?”

Ans…NO! All are sinners, and ALL, Jew and Gentile are saved the same way. In order to be saved, Jew and gentile MUST come to God by Faith in the Finished work of the Cross. There is no other plan of salvation. We must approach ALL lost men as sinners, in need of Jesus Christ.

“What about the Blessing of Abraham? Is it for us today? Are we supposed to be rich like he was?”

Ans… “That the Blessing of Abraham might come on the gentiles through Jesus Christ that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through Faith.” (Gal 3:14).   Much is being said about the Christian and wealth. Some are saying now that Abraham’s blessing is out there somewhere and we must get in on it. I have said on many occasion, that new “doctrines” are born every day. This is because man believes in this “extra biblical revelation”  dreams, visions, etc, and these new “versions” will say anything you want them to say. If God chooses to make you rich like Abraham, so be it. That’s God’s business. But the Blessing of Abraham does NOT promise us riches. If you carefully study Romans 4, Galatians 3, you will find that the Blessing of Abraham was JUSTIFICATION BY FAITH ALONE. The theme of the Book of Galatians is JUSTIFICATION BY FAITH. Abraham was Justified by Faith WHEN he believed God, (Gen. 15:6), and not before.  In the same way Abraham was saved, (by Faith alone) we are saved. Abraham did not receive the Holy Spirit when he believed because the Holy Spirit was not given until after Jesus died for us, (Jn 7:37-39, Jn 16:7-14). We receive the Holy Spirit the moment we are saved by Faith alone. Do not read anything into the Scriptures that is not there.

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“Why are you so dogmatic on the Preservation of the Scriptures as being found only in the King James Bible?”

Ans..I believe that we cover some of this in just about every issue of the WILDERNESS.There are two views, or sources   from which we get the various “bibles on the market..

A. The Critical Text. Two infidels, Wescott and Hort, produced a Greek text, based on two Manuscripts; the Vaticanus, and Sinaiticus, and was published in the nineteenth century. From that text, the English Revised Version of 1881 was published. Some conclude that the above manuscripts are oldest. NOT SO. Every one of the more than 200 versions on the market today is based on the critical text.

B. The Received Text, or Textus Receptus. These are the oldest manuscripts preserved through the centuries. The King James Version is born from the Received Text. 54 English Scholars worked for seven years to give to the world the King James Bible in answer to William Tyndale’s prayer as he burned at the stake for his work in getting us the Bible, “LORD, OPEN THE EYES OF THE KING OF ENGLAND.”

God answered his prayer in giving us the Great King James Bible.   There is just too much history to try and give in just a short space. As I think of the Men like John Wycliffe, William Tyndale, John Rogers, Miles Coverdale, and so many more, I can only weep, and thank God for their sacrifice. I have stood, and will continue to stand upon the Authority of God’s Holy Word as given in the King James Version.

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Father in Heaven, We give you Glory, Honor, and Praise for Your Word.

     PREPARE TO MEET THY GOD
           Amos 4:12

This is one of the most urgent warnings in all the Bible concerning Israel and her backsliding. Judgment is threatening. In fact, judgment has already come. Drought, mildew, pestilence, plague. Judgment has already begun. Today, let us borrow from this text and bring it up to our day.

1. WHY PREPARE? At least three reasons why we must prepare.

A. We will meet God. Ready or not there is an appointment that each of us will keep.

B. Without Christ, we are not prepared to meet God.

C. God has commanded us to prepare to meet Him.

2. HOW PREPARE?

A. First, we must realize our condition, that without Christ, we are not prepared.

B. We ask Christ for His forgiveness, His cleansing from our sin.

3. WHEN PREPARE?   The Bible is clear on the WHEN. “TODAY, if you will hear His voice, harden not your heart.” “Boast not thyself of tomorrow for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth.” Pr. 27:1

My dear friend, without Christ, we are not prepared for life, death, or judgment. Today, ask Christ to come into your heart and make you ready for time and eternity. “For whosoever shall call upon the Name of the lord shall be saved.”

Vol. 30, No. 11  November, 2006

TESTING TODAY’S TEACHERS WHO TURN TRUTH TO TRAGEDY

  (or)

RECOGNIZING RELIGIOUS RACKETEERS

“MANY shall follow their pernicious ways, by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of.” (2Pet 2:2).

“For MANY deceivers are entered into the world, who confess not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist.” (2Jn 7)

These are just two of the hundreds of verses that give warning concerning false teachers. False teachers were busy in John’s day, some 2,000 years ago. The New Testament writers took great care in warning the Church through the ages that false teaching will grow, and especially in the latter days. We are living in the day of the false, false teachers, false doctrine, and false gospels. The question many ask today is, “How can we know? Who can we trust? Who is right and who is wrong? After all, they all carry a “bible” they all bring messages from a “bible” How can we know?”

My first point would be to say, Make sure that YOU are saved. Make sure that YOU personally know Jesus Christ as your Saviour. This is where it all begins. Just make sure that you have trusted the finished work of Christ alone for your

Salvation. Be sure that you have done what the Bible (KJV) says about your soul’s Salvation; that is, You believe that you are a sinner (Ro 3:23) that the reason you are a sinner is because you were born a sinner, (Ro 5:12) that there is a price to pay for your sin, (Ro 6:23), that Jesus Christ paid for your sin by His Death on the Cross, His burial, and His Resurrection from the dead, and that you have asked Christ to save you, (Ro 10:13). Remember, we are not saved by just repeating some words, or some prayer. God always hears the sincere cry of the repentant heart.   Now, if you have done that, you can rest assured that Jesus Christ did exactly what He said that He would do; that is, He would save you if you trusted Him. The Holy Spirit came into your life the moment you trusted Christ. Now, this MUST be a reality in your life if you want to know and walk in the truth. Jesus said, “If ye continue in my Word, then are ye my disciples indeed. And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” (Jn 8:31-32)   “If any man will do His will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself.” (Jn 7:17). The Holy Spirit living IN you will be your guide, your Teacher. He will take the things of Christ and show them to you. You need not be confused or confounded by theDoctrines of men that are deceiving so many today. Now that you know that you are saved, let me list just a few guidelines for you. How can we know them? Who is right? And who is wrong?

What are some of the marks of false teachers?

1. THEY REJECT REVELATION.

 Our Doctrine is the Bible (KJV). I believe, without any doubt, that the greatest issue of our day is the issue of the Bible. I am well aware of the fact that we have something to say about this in the “WILDERNESS” every month. It’s that important, and more. We cannot come to the conclusion that God is in all of this confusion about the Bible. “The Bible is the textbook of the Christian. It is Divine, complete, and final. It is Truth without mixture of error or omission. It contains all we need. It has the answer as to who God is, how we got here, and where we are going. It is a Book about human nature. It tells us all we need to know about anything. Without the Bible we would be like the Athenians in Acts 17:16-31.”   False teachers cannot stay with the Bible, rightly divided. They always refer to some “book” written by some man, or woman with emphasis on the importance upon this “book” more than upon the Bible. That’s false doctrine. “Religious” book sales, tapes, videos, total billions in sales every year. The trouble is, many of these books, etc, are elevated to, or above the Bible, (KJV) It is good to have good books by good authors. It is good to read and study after them. But we must remember that we are never to place any more value upon any book than what it is, that is, it’s a good book. A good author will always refer you to the Word Of God.

Do not be deceived by this “progressive revelation” or “extra Biblical revelation” spoken of by many today. When John penned down the words; “For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book. If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book. And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.” (Rev 22:18-19). This ended Revelation. From that point, everything, every dream, every vision, everything MUST fall in line with what has already been revealed in the Bible (KJV). RELIGION REJECTS THAT. This means that the writings and decisions of the Pope, of Mary Baker Eddy, of Mary Ellen White, of The Book of Mormon, The golden plates of Joseph Smith, the writings of Charles Taze Russell, the watchtower society, or the hundreds and hundreds of modern day “evangelical” preachers who claim to have a “new revelation” are false. BEWARE OF “NEW REVELATIONS.”

2. THEY DENY DEITY. “Whosoever transgresseth and abideth not in THE DOCTRINE OF CHRIST, hath not God. He that abideth in the DOCTRINE OF CHRIST, he hath both the Father and the Son.” (2John 9). Satan hates the person of Christ. He will do anything to attack, destroy, deny the Deity of Christ. To continue in the Doctrine of Christ means to continue in ALL that the Bible says about Christ. False religion has enough truth in it to deceive the masses. Everybody talks about a “Jesus” but when you begin to examine their doctrine you have to come to the conclusion that they are speaking about “another Jesus, another gospel, another spirit.” (2Cor 11:4). Let us examine some of the Scriptures that teach us about the DOCTRINE OF CHRIST,

(A) His Eternality. That is, He is from everlasting to everlasting, (Micah 5:2). “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by Him (Jesus) and without Him (Jesus) was not anything made that was made.” (John1:1-3) (Heb 1:1-3) (Col 1:16-19).

Various modern translations deny the place of Christ in eternity, in creation. For instance the NWT says, “The word was “a” god.” The NIV says that Christ’s beginning was in “ancient times” (Micah 5:2) both “versions” destroy the Pre-existence of Christ and His Work as creator. That does NOT abide in the doctrine of Christ.

(B) His Virgin Birth. Isaiah 7:14 PREDICTS the Virgin Birth of Christ and Matthew 1:18-25 PRESENTS the Virgin Birth. Many of the modern versions deny His Virgin Birth. They substitute “young woman” for “virgin” There is a vast difference between the two. This does NOT continue in the Doctrine of Christ.

(C) His Incarnation. “Great is the mystery of Godliness, God was manifest in the flesh.” (1Tim 3:16) The NIV says, “He” appeared in a body.” The question is, “who appeared in a body?” Why substitute “He” for “God”? That’s NOT the doctrine of Christ.

(D) His Blood Atonement for the remission of sin.   “This is my blood of the New Testament which is shed for many for the remission of sins.” (Mt. 26:28). Some are preaching today that there is no efficacy in the Blood of Christ, that His Blood was just like the blood of everyone else. But that’s not what the Bible says. “Of how much sorer punishment suppose ye, shall he be though worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God and hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified AN UNHOLY THING, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of Grace.” (Heb. 10:29). Some dare call His Blood “common” “ an unholy thing.”   Some new “versions” such as the NIV do much damage to the doctrine of the Blood of Christ. “In whom we have redemption THROUGH HIS BLOOD, even the forgiveness of sin.” (Col 1:14). The “version” that many are using today, the NIV, omits “THROUGH HIS BLOOD.” That does not abide in the Doctrine of Christ.

(E) His Bodily Resurrection from the dead on the third day. Many groups today, many “preachers” today deny the literal, physical resurrection of Christ. The NIV footnotes Mark 16:9-20 as “The most reliable early manuscripts and other ancient witnesses do not have Mark 16:9-20.” The manuscripts they refer to are the Vatican and Sinai, which are the basics of modern translations. Besides the attacks from various “versions” I have read the results of various surveys concerning the stands, opinions of many denominational leaders, and pastors. A growing percentage among main line   denominations no longer holds to the doctrine of the bodily Resurrection of Christ. This does NOT abide in the Doctrine of Christ.

(F) Salvation in Christ alone.   “Neither is there salvation in any other for there is none other name under heaven given among men whereby we must be saved.” (Acts 4:12) We cannot be saved by just believing something, or holding to some creed, or statement. We are saved by Grace through Faith in the finished work of Christ. The NIV continues to attack the doctrine of Christ in John 6:47. Jesus said, “Verily, verily, I say unto you, he that believeth ON ME hath everlasting life.” NIV says, “I tell you the truth, he who believes has everlasting life.” ON ME has been omitted. In other words, you can believe anybody, or anything. That does NOT abide in the Doctrine of Christ. We could continue in this section for quite awhile, but must go on…

3. THEY MAGNIFY MEN. Satan is the master of getting our attention off Christ. Let us get man out of the picture.   Today, man is placed in positions we do not deserve. Man is believed above what the Scriptures teach. Man is applauded, elevated. Some pastors and evangelists can present new “doctrines” that sound good, but are not scriptural, and their followers will not question them.   Part of the problem with the Corinthian Church was that they were man followers. “For while one saith I am of Paul, and another I am of Apollos, are ye not carnal?”   The cults have their men and women whom they adore and worship. There is only one who deserves our worship, and that One is Christ. If some pastor, teacher, evangelist, or Christian worker has had an influence in your life, it is great to think well of them, but to place man in such high esteem is cultic in nature and very dangerous. Any religion that points to a MAN is dangerous. I love an army of good men who have been very helpful to me through the years. It is good to honor good men, but our affection, our worship is to Christ alone.

4. THEY DIVIDE DISCIPLES.  “Our group is right. We are on the right road. No one but our group will go to heaven. Our little flock of disciples are the only ones. We’re right, you’re wrong. If you are not part of our group, you will not make it.” You have heard that before haven’t you? This is ridiculous. I believe that Heaven is made up of born again believers in Christ and His Finished work of Redemption. John, in the Book of Revelation saw a multitude of believers from all nations. He did not see Baptists, Methodists, Presbyterians, Pentecostals,, he saw only born again believers. Let us not limit the Body of Christ to just a certain group. I believe that I can say that without compromising the fact that I am an Independent, Fundamental Baptist.

5. THEY DELETE DOCTRINES.

Some of the great doctrines, other than the inspiration, preservation of the Scriptures have been deleted, and some have been added. For instance, the doctrine of Hell has almost vanished from preaching and teaching today.   We do not like to think about the place of eternal torment. This is an unpleasant truth, but it is truth. Again, some new bibles, and new literature deny the existence of Hell. But the Bible (KJV) says that men who reject Christ will go there. Mark 9:43-50, Luke 16:19-31, Mt 25:41-46, Rev. 14:10-11, Rev 20:11-15, Rev 21:8. I don’t like to think about the place of Hell, but I do like to think about the place of Heaven. The same Bible that tells me about Heaven has much, much more to say about Hell. Much more is said about Hell on the streets, than from our pulpits. It’s Bible, and it’s in there. We cannot deny it, or explain it away.

There is so much, much more to say about this subject, but I have used more than my space, so I must close. The Disciples warned us over and over that the last days would be marked by apostasy and false doctrine, and doctrines of men. I read that a popular “Christian” singer said that “Doctrine divides, and experience unites.” Of course, he does not have anything to do with sound doctrine, but he is right. Doctrine does divide the crowd. Sound doctrine produces sound Christians. Weak doctrine produces the other.   Cultic activity is on the rise. What should our attitude be…

1. We can have no fellowship. (Eph 5:11, 2John 7-11).

2. I do not believe that we can profit by arguing and debating with false religion. If one is interested in knowing the truth, we should try to lead them to Christ.

3. I believe that you should read, study, and become a student of God’s Word (KJV). Do not waste your time in reading so much of the “stuff” that is advertised by the religious broadcasters of our day.

4. Let us try to lead all men to Christ. Let us stay with the basic Plan of salvation. Let the Word of God do the Work of God.

5. Perhaps YOU are one who may be involved in some way with a cult, or one who borders with cultic activities. My dear friend, why not, right now ask Jesus Christ into your heart to be your Saviour. His Holy Spirit is there where you are. Tell Him, in your own words, that you believe what the Bible says about Him, His Life, His death, His Resurrection. Ask Him into your heart just now. He will never come into your life unbidden, you must open your heart to Him. The Bible says, “Ask, and ye shall receive.”

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                    MANNA

Your mail, calls, gifts, words of encouragement about this Ministry are like MANNA to us. As the Israelites made their journey through the wilderness, God gave them MANNA to eat and to sustain them. Your kind words are the same to us as we make our journey through this “WILDERNESS”   Thank you so much. I do not know just how to express my gratitude except to say again that we will continue our stand upon the Authority of the Scriptures, (KJV). We will continue to oppose the various movements that undermine our Faith. The “WILDERNESS” is more than this Publication. It is the spoken word via the Internet. It is the printed word via the Internet. It is Tracts, Books, and Helps to get new converts started right. It is the Prison Ministry. It is the Rescue mission Ministry. It is also Bibles for Africa. This Ministry, I believe is worthy of your Prayers and support.

  HAPPY THANKSGIVING DAY

 By Pastor George Mills

“Make a joyful noise unto the Lord, all ye lands. Serve the Lord with gladness, come before His presence with singing. Know ye that the Lord He is God. It is He that hath made us and not we ourselves, we are His people and the sheep of His pasture. Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise, be THANKFUL unto Him and bless His name. For the Lord is good, His Mercy is everlasting, and His Truth endureth to all generations.”

It is good that this nation has set aside a day of Thanksgiving. This has been true since the beginning. Abraham Lincoln proclaimed the last Thursday in November as a day of Thanksgiving. This was observed until 1939 when Franklin Roosevelt changed the last Thursday to the fourth Thursday to be a day of Thanksgiving. Congress made it official in 1941.

It is recorded in Romans 1:21, “Neither were they thankful.” Ingratitude is the base of all sin. Let us learn to be thankful. Let me share with you some seven things the Psalmist lists. Things for which he was grateful. May they reach our hearts..

1. REVELATION. V3, “He is God” His Name is Jehovah, the Great and Mighty God. He has revealed Himself. Please read the beautiful 19 th Psalm…God has revealed Himself in three ways..

(A) In Creation. “The Heavens declare the Glory of god, and the firmament showeth His handywork.” (Ps 19:1-6)

(B) In Canon of Scripture.. “The Law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul.”

(Psa 19:7-11)

(C) In the Conscience. “Cleanse thou me from secret faults.” (Ps 19:11-14.

2. CREATION. “It is He that hath made us and not we ourselves.” That answers the evolutionists, the critic, the doubters, the agnostic, and the atheist. Read Psa. 139:1-16.

3. MANIFESTATION. V5. “For The Lord is good.” In everything, the Psalmist saw the goodness of God. “Surely GOODNESS and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life.” (Ps 23) As the Psalmist looked back over his life, all that he saw back there was the GOODNESS of God following him.

4. REDEMPTION. V3. “We are His people.” We are His people, first by

Creation..He made us, He formed us.

And we are His people by REDEMPTION. Adam sinned, and incurred a sinful nature. That nature was passed to all men everywhere. Christ REDEEMED that which was lost by His work on the Cross.

5. RESTORATION. V3. “ The Sheep of His pasture” What a beautiful, peaceful picture. In Psalm 23, the great Shepherd Psalm, David said, “He RESTORETH my soul.” We have a Shepherd. One who gave His Life for the sheep, and now lives to care for them.

6. JUSTIFICATION. V5 “ His MERCY is everlasting.” “But according to His MERCY He saved us.” (Titus 3:5) We are saved, secure, settled, sanctified, and satisfied. “But the MERCY of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting upon them that fear Him, and His righteousness unto children’s children. To such as keep His covenant.” Psa 103:17-18.

7. INSPIRATION. V5. His TRUTH endureth to all generations.” Jesus prayed, “Sanctify them through Thy TRUTH, THY WORD IS TRUTH.” The Word of God is forever settled. (Ps 119:89) Thank God for His Wonderful Book (KJV) His Pure, Purified, and Preserved Word. (Psa 12:6-7)

Now, because of these wonderful things revealed about our God, let us…

1. Enter into His Gates with Thanksgiving. The cities were surrounded with walls. Guards would refuse those who had no right to enter.

Jesus bought our access by His death on the Cross. (Eph 2:10-18). Enter into His presence with THANKSGIVING! “Thank you Lord!”

2.Enter His Courts with Praise. The Court was where the tabernacle was located, (Isa 1:12). Only a few could enter there. Again, Christ bought our right of access. “Let us come boldly before the throne of God.” (Heb 4:16).

3. Be THANKFUL unto Him. Listed above are seven things, but Oh, so much, much more. I do not believe that God can use an ungrateful Christian. Let it not be said of our generation, “Neither were they thankful.”

4. Bless His Name. “Glory ye in His Holy Name, (Psa 105:3) “Praise ye the Lord. Praise ye the Name of the Lord.” (Psa 135:1-3) His Name implies all that He is. His Name shall be called Wonderful Counselor. The Mighty God. The Everlasting Father. The Prince of peace.

Today, I THANK Him and PRAISE Him for who He is, and for what He has done for me. He saved me by His Grace 46 years ago. He has kept me. He has been patient with me. He has guided me. He has supplied. I am Richly Blessed. He has given me the privilege of sharing His Wonderful Gospel with others. I THANK HIM TODAY. Thank you Father for sending your Son. Thank you Jesus for giving your Life. Thank you Holy Spirit for seeking me and bringing me to Christ. Thank God for my Christian Wife, and thank God for everyone who has had a part in making my life a life that is filled with sweet things.

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AND THE WORLD IS A WILDERNESS… It is no friend to the Christian. The world is filled with bitterness. Once that bitterness filled me. Thank God for His Sweetness

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           THANKSGIVING

        By Pastor George Mills

“O give Thanks unto the Lord, for He is good..” Psa 136:1

Accept my gratitude Dear God,

      For blessings from Thy hand,

And for Thy Loving kindness,

      Displayed throughout the land.

For tender mercies manifest,

     For deliverance from care,

We are a people richly blessed,

     Your Grace is everywhere.

May we show forth our gratitude,

     To those in every land,

With grateful hearts we will confess,

     “It’s from our Father’s Hand.”

     MY FRIEND
By Pastor George Mills

“Henceforth I call you not servants, for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth, but I have called you friends.” (John 15:15).

What a beautiful thought, the Blessed lord Jesus calls us His friends. Now, that is just precious to me. He told us in this text that He will lay down His life for His friend. He did that very thing just a few hours after He had spoken those words. I am forever grateful that I have found in Christ, that special Friend. And I pray that He has found in me a friend to Him.

AND THE WORLD IS A WILDERNESS, it is no friend to the Christian. As we make our journey through this WILDERNESS I am grateful for the Friend we have. I woke up this morning with an old song in my heart. I have been humming it to myself most all morning. This is an old Hymn written by J. Wilbur Chapman. The first verse says,

     Jesus what a Friend for sinners,

        Jesus Lover of my soul

     Friends may fail me, foes assail me,

        He my Saviour makes me whole.

Thank God for that True Friend. A recent survey revealed that a vast majority of the American people do not have one special friend in their lives. This has been rightly called, “The Lonely Generation.”

May I recommend to you, my Friend. Christ can become for you the same He has been for billions through the years, If you trust Him as Saviour, He will be to you that Special Friend.

Vol. 30, No. 10   October, 2006

THE SPIRIT LED LIFE  
By Pastor George Mills

“For as many as are LED by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.”  (Ro 8:14).

“A man that hath friends must shew himself friendly, and there is a Friend that sticketh closer than a brother.”  (Prov 18:24).

May I take just a few minutes of your time and share with you some things about “Your Dearest Friend.”Of course that Dearest Friend is the Holy Spirit. Jesus told His disciples that we would have a closer, deeper, more meaningful relationship than did the disciples when they walked with Him. Jesus said that the Holy Spirit would dwell IN us. “For He dwelleth with you and shall be in you.”(Jn 14:17). Today, we can barely scratch the surface on such a subject before us. There is much discussion today about the Holy Spirit. We need not fear this subject. I am well aware of the fanaticism about the Holy Spirit.   The things I share with you today are not new. These are the things that we should be more familiar with as we grow from Grace to Grace.

1.THE WRITINGS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT. The Bible, (KJV) is The Work of The Holy Spirit. “Know this first that no prophesy of the Scripture is of any private interpretation. For prophesy came not in old time by the will of man, but holy men of God spake as they were MOVED BY THE HOLY GHOST.”(2Pet 1:20-21).

“All Scripture is given by Inspiration of God and is profitable for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness. That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.”(2Tim 3:16). God spoke His Word to men, and men wrote what God said. That’s INSPIRATION, and PRESERVATION. The Heavenly Person God used in giving His Word is the Holy Spirit. The Heavenly Person God has used in Preserving His Word is the Holy Spirit. I believe that the Person of the Holy Spirit has been omitted in the creation of the many new versionson the market today. Too many passages have been omitted, too many words have been omitted, or changed. God promised us that He would PRESERVE His Word forever; “The Words of the Lord are pure Words: as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times. Thou shalt keep them, O Lord, Thou shalt preserve them from this generation for ever.” (Psa 12:6-7).   Now, if you happen to have the New International Version, the promises of God to preserve His Word forever have been changed to, “And the words of the Lord are flawless, like silver refined in a furnace of clay, purified seven times. O Lord, you will keep US safe, and protect US from such people forever.”  No longer is it, “Preserve them” (His Words) It is changed to “keep us, protect us,” The Holy Spirit is NOT in the creation of the many versions today. The bottom line in all of this is MONEY. There are multiplied millions of dollars made from the sale of bibles annually. The Holy Spirit has carefully guarded Preservation down through the centuries. As I have told everyone everywhere I go, “There is nothing wrong with your Bible (KJV).”  Recently, a lady said to me, Preacher, my pastor’s bible does not read like my bible. My only answer, “Get out. Find you a Bible believing Church.” Again, the Holy Spirit is not in all of this confusion about the Bible. Now, if there is something wrong with the Bible, there is no need for us to go any further. But since there is nothing wrong, let us go on?(Thank you Holy Spirit for your great work in bringing the Bible to us. May we be faithful stewards.)

2. THE WORK OF THE HOLY SPIRIT.

The Work of the Holy Spirit is so vast, so immeasurable, I just do not know where to begin. I choose to mention three things about the Work of the Holy Spirit.

(A) The Holy Spirit in Creation. Where we find God at work, we find the Holy Spirit. The Bible gives credit to the Trinity in the great work of creation. “In the Beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” (Gen 1:1). The Bible also says that Christ created all things; “For by Him (Christ) were all things created, that are in Heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers, all things were created by Him, and for Him.” (Col 1:16). Concerning the Holy Spirit in creation; “And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.” (Gen 1:2) “And God said, (This is the great conference with all three members of the Trinity, Father, Son, and Spirit) Let us make man in our image, after our likeness.”(Gen 1:26). “By His Spirit, He hath garnished the heavens..”(Job 26:13). “The Spirit of God hath made me, and the breath of the Almighty hath given me life.” (Job 33:4). So, the Bible (KJV) gives the Trinity credit for the work of creation. The Holy Spirit was there.

(B) The Holy Spirit in Conviction.   The Lord Jesus promised his disciples that another comforter would come after He (Christ) returns to the Father. (John 16:7-15) “And when He, (the Holy Spirit) is come, He will reprove the world of sin, righteousness, and of judgment.”  The Holy Spirit takes the Word of God, and teaches the sinner that he is lost, without God. I can convince no man of his lost condition. This is the Work of the Holy Spirit. This is why we must get the Word to the unsaved.

(C) The Holy Spirit in Conversion. We sing “Jesus Saves.” Our motto is “Jesus Saves.”But in reality, Jesus died and arose from the dead to purchase our Salvation, but the Work of conversion is the Work of the Holy Spirit. Read John 3:1-16. The Bible says that we are “Born of the Spirit.” (Jn 3:8). God sent His Son as the only Sacrifice for sin. Jesus gave His life on the Cross in obedience to the Father’s will. The Holy Spirit takes the truth of the Gospel, implants that Word in the sinner’s heart, The sinner believes the Gospel, and calls upon the Name of Christ, and the Holy Spirit Births the sinner into God’s Family. He is “Born again” of the Spirit. The Holy Spirit then indwells the new believer, and will be in him until God calls him home.

3. THE WONDER OF THE HOLY SPIRIT.  As we think of our Great Friend, the Holy Spirit, we are amazed.

(A) The Wonder of the Power of the Resurrection of Christ. “But if the Spirit of Him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, He that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by His Spirit that dwelleth in you.”(Ro 8:11-13). The greatest event in the history of the world. Paul said, “That I may know Him, and the Power of His Resurrection,” (Phil 3:10) The only way we can know that power is by the Power of the Holy Spirit in us. This is why it is so important that every child of God daily seek the fullness of the Holy Spirit. (Eph 5:18).

(B) The Wonder of the Performances of the Holy Spirit in us. The are so many, Here are just a few.

a. As we have already stated, the Holy Spirit   Births us into the Family of God, (John 3:1-8)

b. The Holy Spirit Baptizes us into the Body of Christ. “For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body..” (1Cor. 12:13)

c. The Holy Spirit seals the believer. “In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, in whom also after that ye believed ye were sealed with that Holy Spirit of promise.”(Eph 1:13). The seal means ownership. We belong to God.

d. The Holy Spirit seeks to produce the beautiful Fruit of the Spirit in our lives; “Love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance, against such there is no law.”(Gal 5:22-23).

e. The Holy Spirit teaches us the Scriptures. He is the Author, and Teacher. We do not need new “bibles” we need a closer relationship with the Holy Spirit. “But there is a spirit in man and the inspiration of the Almighty giveth them understanding.” (Job 33:8)

f. The Holy Spirit assists us in our Prayer life. “Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities for we know not what we should pray for, but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. ” (Ro 8:25-26).

4. THE WITNESS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT.

A. The Holy Spirit witnesses Christ.    Like a spotlight shining on a person in center stage without calling attention to itself, so the Holy Spirit always illuminates Christ. The Holy Spirit does not illuminate some man, or some experience, but the attention is always on the Person of Jesus Christ.

Anything, any doctrine that seeks to add to, or take away from these things concerning the Holy Spirit is  “another Jesus, another spirit, another gospel.”(2Cor 11:4).

B. The Holy Spirit assures the believer. “The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit that we are the children of God.”  (Ro 8:16). The Holy Spirit living in the believer will not let you doubt your Salvation. I know, we all go through times when we feel very low spiritually. Sometimes doubts may arise. But the Holy Spirit WILL NOT let you doubt very long. The Holy Spirit is in you to witness, to assure you that you are a Child of God, and joint heir with Christ. (Ro 8:16-17).

5. THE WARNINGS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT.

Man without Christ faces an awful destiny. Hell has been taken away from our preaching in these latter years. We hear very little about the destiny of the unsaved. But, there is a hell awaiting the Christ rejecter. We are to “Warn the wicked from his wicked way.”(Eze 3:18). The Word of God, (KJV) is the vehicle God uses to speak to the heart of the sinner.This is what this Ministry is all about. We do what we can with what we have to warn men. (Acts 20:31). This Publication, now 30 years old, our Tracts, our booklets, helps, our Internet Ministry, our Broadcast Ministry is to WARN men of their destiny, while we seek to encourage the Believer. But in reality, The Holy Spirit, using the Word of God is the One who WARNS the sinner. I can only reach the ear-gate, or the eye-gate, But the voice of the Holy Spirit reaches the heart. The Bible says, “Wherefore as Holy Ghost saith,TODAY, if you will hear His voice, harden not your hearts.” (Heb. 3:7-8). If you are not saved today, let me remind you that time after time in your life, The Holy Spirit has warned you. The Holy Spirit has pleaded. TODAY, Now, open your heart, and by Faith alone, ask Jesus into your heart, to forgive your sin, and acknowledge that He paid your sin debt in His Finished Work.

6. THE WOOING OF THE HOLY SPIRIT.  The Holy Spirit tenderly, patiently, waits for the Christian to surrender his or her life to the Power of the Holy Spirit. What will we do with a Friend like that?

A. Do not quench the Holy Spirit.   “Quench not The Spirit.”(1Thess. 5:19).

Quenching has to do with our OUTWARD   acts. Quenching is when we refuse to walk in the Leading of the Holy Spirit. Our hearts will grow cold, the fire has been put out, and we produce no fruit.

B. Do not grieve the Holy Spirit. Grieving the Holy Spirit has to do with our INWARD attitudes. “And grieve not the Holy Spirit of God whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.”(Eph 4:30-32). We begin to neglect our prayer life, we become ungrateful, and we harbor bitterness, or anger, PRIDE swells within us. We are grieving the Holy Spirit.

C. Do not lie to the Holy Spirit. Read Acts 5:1-11. Ananias and Sapphira attempted to appear more spiritual than they were, sold a piece of land, and kept back a portion, and lied to the Apostles about the price. The land was their’s. There was no need for them to lie, but they did. Peter said, “Satan has filled thy heart to lie to the Holy Ghost.” The sin was DECEIT. Be honest with yourself. We have a Heavenly guest living within us. The Holy Spirit knows us better than we know ourselves.

D. Be filled with The Holy Spirit. The command is, “And be not drunk with wine wherein is excess, but be filled with the Spirit.” (Eph 5:18). We are not commanded to be baptized with the Holy Spirit, for that has already been done, (1Cor 12:13). We are not commanded to be indwelt with the Holy Spirit, this too has already been done, when we received Christ, (Eph 1:13). To be filled with the Holy Spirit is to be controlled by the Holy Spirit. The contrast is very clear.   As wine controls the actions of a drunken man, so the Holy Spirit is to control the actions of the Christian. As believers, we already have all of the Holy Spirit we will ever have. We surrender ourselves to the Power of the Holy Spirit in us and the Holy Spirit produces the Graces of a SPIRIT LED life as described in Ephesians 5:18-6:9. Don?t seek some fleshly experience or emotional experience, or some feeling. Seek to live the Spirit Led Life.

Much is being said today about a “PURPOSE DRIVEN LIFE” This is another of the thousands of ways today to sell books. Over 40 million books about the Purpose Driven Life have been sold. Religion is for sale today. You can buy it anywhere. The Bible says nothing about a ‘Purpose Driven Life.’ The Bible does say that we are to live the SPIRIT LED LIFE. Books, tapes, videos, lessons, five points in this lesson, and another has four points, new ways, and new revelations. On and on. Nothing will ever take the place of the believer seeking to be daily led of the Holy Spirit. May these few thoughts on such a vast subject challenge us today to know our “Friend that sticketh closer than a brother.”

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MY FRIEND WHO LIVES INSIDE

         By Pastor George Mills

“For He dwelleth with you and shall be IN you.” (Jn 14:27, John 16:7-15)

I have a Friend who lives in me,

    He is with me each step of the way,

To be my reprover, and my path to maneuver,

     And to be my Guide day by day.

I have a Friend who lives inside,

      Who is closer than any brother,

He lightens my day, and His Word is my stay,

     And He teaches to love one another.

He tells me of Christ and His Great Love

     His comfort and guiding He gives,

In Truth He does lead, for He knows what I need,

     And He tells of the Saviour, who lives.

I have a Friend to be with me,

     When lonely paths I find,

With His comforting hand, in each barren land,

     He strengthens, and settles my mind.

I have a Great Friend who lives within,

     He is my Shepherd and my Guide,

He will lead safely home, when life?s work is done,

     My FRIEND, who lives inside.

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THINK ABOUT IT.. With the Holy Spirit leading, how can we go wrong?

Wandering through the Wilderness…..

Answers to some questions about the Holy Spirit   A female inmate writes:

1. “When do I know the Holy Ghost is talking to me?”

Ans. In your letter you said, “I have such a hunger for Jesus Christ.” That in itself is your best answer. That hunger for Christ did not come from the world, flesh, or the devil. The Holy Spirit is always speaking to hearts. He always wants to speak to you about Christ.

2. “How do I know that I have the Holy Ghost?”

Ans  According to Ephesians 1:13, The Holy Spirit comes into our lives the moment we receive Christ. That’s a matter of FACT, and not feelings. The Holy Spirit is in us because the Bible says so.

3. “What about tongues?”

Ans..”Tongues” in the Bible mean a “language.” An unknown tongue is simply a language that I am not familiar with. For instance, “Greek” is an unknown tongue to me. I speak and understand English. Now, on the day of Pentecost, every word spoken was understood by everyone. That’s the way it is supposed to be. Every word spoken in the Church is to be understood by everyone, (1Cor 14). Gibberish utterances understood by no one in many of today’s movements can in no way be compared to what happened at Pentecost.

4. “How about being baptized IN the Spirit?”

Ans   Again, we are baptized by the Spirit the moment we were saved, (1Cor 12:13). The Bible says nothing about  baptized “IN “the Spirit.?

5. “How can I forgive myself for all the wrongs I’ve done to myself and to others?”

Ans .According to the Bible, God has forgiven us, in Christ. He took all of our guilt. The believer has no past, only the future. Accept God’s forgiveness. “Who forgiveth all thine iniquities.”(Psa 103:3) To those you have wronged, ask for their forgiveness, and accept God’s Forgiveness. Overmuch sorrow is an awful burden to bear.(See 2Cor. 2:1-11).

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AND THE WORLD IS A WILDERNESS..It is no friend to the Christian. But, in the Holy Spirit, we have a Friend.

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MANNA… Your letters, calls, e-mails about the work of this Ministry. Every offering we receive, every nice thing you say and do for this Work of Faith mean more than you will ever know. I believe that this work is worthy of your prayers and support. Thank you so much.

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ALCOHOL IN THE HOME…

“Wine is a mocker, and strong drink is raging, and whosoever is deceived thereby is not wise.” (Pr 20:1)

No HOME is big enough for alcohol.

No HEART has room enough for alcohol

No HEAD is wise enough for alcohol.

“At the last it biteth like a serpent and stingeth like an adder.”(Pr 23:29-32)

DO YOU KNOW WHAT IT MEANS TO BE SAVED FROM THE PENALTY AND POWER OF SIN?

The Penalty…”For the wages is sin is Death.” (Ro 6:23)

The Power…”for ALL have sinned.”  (Ro 6:23)

Sin has engulfed the human race; that’s the POWER. Sin leads to a devil’s hell; that’s the PENALTY.

1. REALIZE that YOU are a sinner in God’s sight. Every person falls short of God’s requirements. ALL of us are born sinners. (Ro 3:23)

2. RECOGNIZE that the wages of sin is death. Christ died and arose from the dead in full payment for our sins. Christ’s death is the ONLY Atonement for sin. (Ro 6:23)

3. RECEIVE Jesus Christ as your Saviour. God has provided the Finished Work of Salvation in the Person of Jesus Christ. You cannot earn Salvation by good works, or by Baptism, or by rites or rituals, or by Mass, or partaking the Lord’s Supper. You, as a REPENTANT sinner must ask God for His Grace. “But as many as received Him, to them gave He power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on His Name.” (Jn 1:12). “How do I receive Him?” The Bible says, “Ask, and ye shall receive.” We are not saved by saying words. Mere words are not enough. We must ask God with a sincere heart.

4. REJOICE in a new life in Christ. Thank Him for saving you from the PENALTY and POWER of sin. Begin TODAY to live FOREVER!

The WILDERNESS  Ministries are part of the Missionary outreach of Yukon Baptist Church, Jacksonville, Fla. Here are some of the Characteristics of Yukon Baptist Church?

A Church with a Bible Preaching Ministry. The King James Bible is our only textbook.

A Church which is not part of the World, or national council of Churches or their local affiliates. These groups have been vehicles of modernism, socialism, unbelief. Yukon Baptist Church maintains it’s independency.

A  Church which supports itself with free-will offerings. We do not have bingo games, rummage sales, or bazaars.

A Church where the Musical program is Traditional, and NOT contemporary. The Old Standard Hymnal is our only songbook. We reject “rock music”  that has invaded so many Churches of today.

A Church which is Patriotic. We appreciate and enjoy the freedoms of America. We are opposed to lawlessness, socialism, communism, and governmental intervention in Church affairs.

A Church with the Home in view. We strive to build strong Christian Homes, which are vital to our nation’s survival.

A Church with the world in view. Gospel literature is distributed around the world from Yukon Baptist Church through this Monthly Publication, Gospel Tracts, booklets, and the Worldwide Internet, both in printed and spoken word by way of the Church In The Wildwood Broadcast..

                     STATEMENT

                             (Posted quarterly)

• We stay within the Doctrines of our belief, that is, historic, Fundamental Baptist as stated in every edition.

• We make every effort to stay within the three fold guidelines of our Purpose as stated in every issue.

• We do not solicit advertisement from anyone or for anyone.

• There is never any solicitation for funds. All free will gifts are needed and appreciated. 100% of every dollar given to the WILDERNESS is used for publishing, printing, and postage.

• Any reference to a book, article, or statement by someone does not mean an endorsement.

• While the ISSUES of the day are freely discussed in the WILDERNESS we make all effort to refrain references to PERSONALITIES as much as possible.

• The Editor is solely responsible for the contents of the WILDERNESSThere is never an attempt to plagiarize, or misuse the work of another. Any similarities are pure coincidental.

• We will NOT carry on a through the mail, or Internet  debate with anyone. The things we believe, stand for, and publish are not debatable.

Vol. 30, No. 8   August, 2006

   CAN GOD?

“Yea, they spake against God; they said CAN GOD furnish a table in the wilderness?”(Psa 78:19)

They asked “CAN GOD?” I want to share with you some places in the Scriptures (KJV) where the power, or ability of God was questioned. Today, I want to declare again that I believe in the All Powerful, All Knowing, and Ever Present Living God of the Bible, (KJV). As I write this message, in my limited space, by the time I get to the end, I should have at least 5 points where, in some way, “CAN GOD??”was asked.

1. GOD CAN SAVE ANY SINNER. For each point I make in this message, there are dozens of illustrations in the Bible (KJV). In the following instances, God reached down in Grace and saved someone, who, by all human wisdom, was beyond saving. CAN GOD save

(A) Rahab the harlot of Joshua 2. She heard about the living God, (2:9-10) and hid the Israeli spies. She was saved, and was placed in the earthly lineage of Christ (Mt 1:5). In fact you will find four women in Matthew 1:1-6 who were women of questionable morals, who were saved and placed in the earthly lineage of Christ, all by Grace.

(B) We could mention the thief on the Cross with Christ. The thief asked, “Lord, remember me.” Christ said, “Today shalt thou be with me in paradise.”

(C)  And the maniac of Gadara, Mt 8:28-34, Mk 5:1-20, Lk 8:26-37. Here was a man so demon possessed, so filled with rage and madness, that no man could tame him. He wore no clothes and lived in a graveyard. If he were alive today, man probably would have him in an insane asylum. But Jesus healed him, cast out the demons, and the man was found at the feet of Jesus, clothed and in his right mind. Oh thank God for the Saving Power of Christ.

(D). And we think of the Apostle Paul who was a persecutor of Christians, (1Tim 1:12-13) But he was gloriously saved by Grace on the road to Damascus, (Acts 9:1-17).

(E). And of course, we must mention the woman at the well in John 4:1-39.   “He, (Jesus) must needs go through Samaria.” Jesus was south in Jerusalem, in the land of Judaea, and was going north to the land of Galilee. But the land of Samaria was between the two. Now the Jews hated the Samaritans so bad that when traveling north and south, when they got to the border of Samaria, they would cross the Jordan River,  continue their journey, on the other side, and re-cross the Jordan. In other words, they went miles out of their way just to keep from passing through Samaria. Jesus could have gone north by crossing the Jordan. After all, Samaria was filled with half-breeds, and mis-fits. No Jew would ever want to be found in the presence of a Samaritan. But Jesus came to seek and save the lost, and this woman He met at Jacob?s well was a lost woman. CAN CHRIST SAVE THIS WOMAN? After all, she was an adulteress, she had been married five times, and was living in sin with another man. Jesus offered her Living Water. The woman left her water pots by the well and went into the city and told the men of the city to, “Come, see a Man which told me all things that I ever did, is not this the Christ?” “And many of the Samaritans believed on Him for the saying of the woman.” (v39) Yes, these are just a few of so many many more who were, by human definition, without hope. And you, who are reading this just now, you may have the idea, or someone may have told you that there is no hope for you. NOT SO, Jesus came to save the Lost. You may have gone into deep, horrible sin, but the Grace of God can reach down, lift you up, save your soul, give you a reason for living and hope for the future. Oh thank God for those wonderful words, “Neither do I condemn thee..” No more can God? but ?  It’s GOD CAN.!”

2. GOD CAN SOLVE ANY SITUATION.    Again the Bible (KJV) is filled with examples, situations, problems where the power of God was questioned. Please take a few seconds and read the 78 th Psalm. This Psalm is a review of the Power and Grace of God as He delivers the Jews, and of their rebellion and unbelief. Time after time they faced a problem, and time after time, God solved their problem. They faced the Red Sea with the enemy in pursuit, what a great problem. Moses said, “stand still, and see the Salvation of the Lord.” (Ex 14:13). And the waters parted and the Jews went through on dry ground, but the Egyptians perished in the flowing waters. The Jews had no water to drink, and “He brought streams out of the Rock.”(Ps 78:16)(Ex 15:23).   “And the Children of Israel said would to God that we had died in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the flesh pots, and when we did eat bread to the full, for ye have brought us forth into this wilderness to kill this whole assembly with hunger.” (Ex 16:3). “CAN GOD FURNISH A TABLE IN THE WILDERNESS?” “Can He provide flesh for His people?” (Ps 78:19-20). CAN GOD?  “Though He had commanded the clouds from above, and opened the doors of Heaven. And had rained down manna upon them to eat, and had given them the corn of Heaven. Man did eat angel’s food, He sent them meat to the full.” “The Lord said unto Moses Is the Lord’s hand waxed short?” (Nu 11:23) God gave them water, manna, and quail until it came out of their nostrils (Nu 11:20).   Oh yes, God can. I do not know how some things are calculated, therefore I do not know how much stock to place in some things I read. However, I did read somewhere that in order to feed three million people every day, it would take a mile long freight train of food daily. When I think of the thousands of great Trucks, and trains coming into our city every day, and our city has less than one million, I do not have much trouble in believing the story about the mile long freight train. No more can God?  it’s GOD CAN!

3. GOD CAN SUPPLY IN EVERY SUPPLICATION.  “I exhort therefore, that first of all, SUPPLICATIONS, Prayers, intercessions and giving of thanks be made for all men.” (1Tim 2:1) I know, there are some who question the power of prayer. Time and time again, as we read the Scriptures, (KJV) we see how God answered Prayer. There is a situation in Acts 12, where I believe that the Power of Prayer was questioned, at least by the ones praying in the house of John Mark, (Acts 12:12) In this text, Herod, the Roman Governor, had James murdered. Of course, this pleased many of the Jews who wanted nothing to do with this new “religion” called Christianity. When Herod saw that this pleased the Jews, he had the Apostle Peter imprisoned and posted 100 soldiers to guard him until after Easter. This was during the days of unleavened bread, and had nothing to do with Passover. Passover had ended. The Easter Herod had in mind was the perverted pagan festival of Astarte, or the “queen of heaven” (Jer 44:17-25). This heathen  “love” festival took place late in April. Herod was waiting for this heathen festival, and after the festival, he was going to murder the Apostle peter.

“BUT PRAYER. ” CAN GOD?  “Prayer was made without ceasing of the Church unto God for him.” (Acts 12:5). While they were praying, God was answering. An angel woke up the Apostle Peter, and his chains fell from him. The iron gate that led out of the prison opened of it’s own accord. (God had the automatic door long before man started installing it in public buildings.) The Apostle Peter left the prison and went to the house of John Mark where the prayer meeting was taking place. When Peter knocked, a young girl by the name of Rhoda answered and saw the Apostle Peter there and ran into the prayer meeting and told them that Peter was outside.   “THOU ART MAD” This cannot be. “IT IS HIS ANGEL.” Peter is in prison and awaiting execution. CAN GOD.”  Oh yes, GOD CAN! The power of God was questioned in their reply and remarks to Rhoda. THERE IS NOT A PRAYER THAT HE CANNOT ANSWER! And you may be facing impossible situations today. No more can God?  It’s GOD CAN!

4. GOD CAN SILENCE EVERY SKEPTIC. “Being confident of this very thing that He which hath begun a good work in you WILL PERFORM it until the day of Jesus Christ.” (Ph 1:6)We sing;

“Every Promise in the Book is mine.

 Every chapter verse, every line.

All are blessings of His Love, Divine.

Every Promise in the Book is mine.”

Promises far too many to mention. Let us look at the promise to Abraham. After Abraham finally comes to the place where he believed God, he is saved. (Gen. 15:6, Ro 4:1-6) God establishes the rite of circumcision, changes Abram?s name to Abraham, and Sarai to Sarah, and promises Abraham a son in his old age.  “And I will bless her, and give thee a son also of her, yea I will bless her, and she shall be a mother of nations; kings of people shall be of her.” Then Abraham fell upon his face and laughed, and said in his heart, shall a child be born unto him that is an hundred years old?” And shall Sarah that is ninety years old bear?” (Gen 17:15-17) CAN GOD? NO! This is not possible. “O that Ishmael might live before thee.” I have a son, by the Egyptian Hagar. Surely, this must be what God means.” In genesis 18, the PROMISE is made again, “Sarah, thy wife will have a son.” Of course, Sarah, like her husband did laugh. “IS ANYTHING TOO HARD FOR THE LORD?” (Gen 18:14) And in Genesis 21, the PROMISE was fulfilled to Abraham and Sarah in the birth of their son Isaac. Old and stricken in years, beyond the age of childbearing, and a son is born according to PROMISE. Of course, I did not get in every detail concerning Abraham and God’s PROMISE to him. I believe that we get the basic idea that HE WILL PERFORM HIS PROMISES. Now, if God is Faithful to His Word, and He is, and He kept every promise He made to Abraham, and to Isaac, and to Jacob, and to the sons of Jacob, to the Kings, and to the Prophets, can’t we today understand, and cling to; “FAITHFUL IS HE THAT PROMISED.”

(A)   He PROMISED to SAVE anyone who would believe the Message of the Gospel of Christ; that is, we are sinners, that Christ died on the cross as our substitute, that Christ was buried, and that He arose from the dead on the third day. “But as many as received Him, to them gave He power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on His Name.” (Jn 1:12). You receive Him by telling Him that you receive Him. “Ask, and ye shall receive.” God always hears the cry of the Repentant heart, That’s His PROMISE!

(B) He PROMISED to SEAL and SECURE those He saves. “In whom ye also trusted AFTER ye heard the Word of Truth, the Gospel of your Salvation, in Whom also AFTER ye believed, ye were sealed with that Holy Spirit of PROMISE.”(Eph 1:13).   “Now unto Him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of His Glory with exceeding Joy.”(Jude 24) “Faithful is He that PROMISED.”

(C) He PROMISED His SECOND COMING. “I will come again and receive you unto myself that where I am, there ye may be also.”  (Jn 14:3). He did not tell us the day, or the hour of His coming. He told us that He is coming. We are not to set dates, or look for signs, we are to be ready. He told us not to be upset at the moving of nations, or the growing unbelief in the world. Things like these will happen and worsen as time passes. Men are selling Books, tapes, sermons, magazines, DVD’s, all giving sure signs of His coming. We are not to be deceived by anyone. His coming is on time and in time. We just need to be busy in getting the Good News of the Gospel to the Nations. NO, IT’S NOT, “CAN GOD?”  but  it’s “GOD CAN!”

5. GOD CAN STILL EVERY STORM.  Even nature itself has to bow to the Lordship of Jesus Christ. Crossing the Sea of Galilee one night, they were in a violent storm. The ship was about to sink. Christ was fast asleep on a pillow. “Carest Thou not that we perish?”  “CAN GOD?” asked the Disciples. “Can you do anything Lord?” The Bible says that “He arose and rebuked the wind and sea and said Peace, be still. And there was a great calm.” (Mk 4:35-41). There is so much more, more that I can ever cover.

The message is, GOD CAN.  Every PROMISE He made will be fulfilled to the last jot and tittle. You can serve Him, you can trust Him. He is the Great Saviour, the Chief Shepherd, The Coming King of kings and Lord of lords.

Amen, and Amen.

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              CAN GOD?

       By Pastor George Mills

“They said, CAN GOD furnish a table in this wilderness?”(Ps 78:19)

CAN GOD prepare a place to dine,

   In this wilderness, so far away?

Then Manna was found, there on the ground,

   As He healed their hunger, that day.

No water to drink in this parched land,

   CAN GOD cause the clouds to send rain?

A   Rock opened wide, water flowed from inside,

   And water was abundant again.

Is anything too hard for God?

   Can He keep His Word as He said?

Each promise is true, each day they renew,

   As we follow the path He has led.

A violent storm is all around,

   Our ship is sinking fast.

Do you care for our plight, on this stormy night?

   “BE STILL” and sweet peace at last.

CAN GOD hear my voice, each time I pray,

   Does He listen to my heart’s cry?

He hears when I pray, He knows what I say,

   And He’ll answer each one, by and by.

CAN WINDOWS of Heaven be opened again

   And Blessings come down from above?

Is there yet hope for man? Oh yes, GOD CAN,

   Send down sweet gifts of His Love.

So let’s follow His lead, He knows every need,

   Let us carefully walk by His plan.

And we’ll see every day, His wonders display,

 Then it’ s   no longer CAN GOD?   it’s GOD CAN!

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THINK ABOUT IT!God has promised that He will not remember sin, cleansed by the Blood.

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           WHY PICK ON ME?

I was given to the English speaking people of the world in the year 1611, WHY PICK ON ME?

I have been busy transforming countless millions of lives. WHY PICK ON ME?

The Founding Fathers of America consulted me when they laid the Foundation of this Great Nation. WHY PICK ON ME?

The early Pioneers carried me with them as they carved this nation from the wilderness. WHY PICK ON ME?

If you are saved today, MOST PROBABLY you were led to Christ by the soul winner who used ME to lead you to Christ. WHY PICK ON ME?

 I am NOT faulty, old, and frail. I am young, alive, and doing quite well, thank you. In fact, I have never felt better. I have fought off the attacks down through the years. Men have searched me, scorned me, ridiculed me, but they can find NO FAULT IN ME. I am not out-dated. I am free from all error and omission. Oh never mind, go ahead, do your thing, PICK ON ME. I’l l be around for a long time.

                  I’m Your King James Bible

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AND THE WORLD IS A WILDERNESS..It is no friend to the Christian. The world attacks your Bible (KJV), it scoffs at It’s promises, and laughs at It’s miracles. It mocks the Christ of the Bible. In the Bible you will find an unfailing Friend, in the world you will not.

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  TIMELY TOPICS   for

                             TODAY’S TEENS

THE DRIVER, the DUMPSTER, and DAD

 By Amy Welch

Hello again. I am happy to have this opportunity to share with you some of the things that I have learned about Home, Love of Family, Church, and of course, our Dear Saviour, Jesus Christ.

In my last article for the WILDERNESS I shared with you just a few things about my family. Today, let me tell you about Big Bo, (my Dad) and Little Bo, (my brother). Dad is a large, happy-go-lucky man, full of life and always ready for a laugh. Little Bo is just like him. When these two get together, something funny always happens without them trying to be funny. I will tell you more about my Mom and my little brother ‘Josh’ next time. Anyway, Little Bo wanted to learn how to drive. Bo, (my Dad) will sometimes let Little Bo steer the automobile when he is on a lonely road away from traffic. Well, on the day that Dad decided that he would let little Bo drive all by himself, we loaded the family car and headed for the plant where my Dad works. He drives a big truck for this company. It was Saturday, and the plant was closed, and we had the large parking lot all to ourselves. We emptied the vehicle, set up our lawn chairs, and watched. Dad was busy doing something to the car. “OK Little Bo, there it is. Now drive carefully to the corner of the parking lot, turn left at the next corner, then left again, and back here.” Little Bo proudly got in the vehicle. Nothing happened. Little Bo got back out of the vehicle. “What’s wrong? Dad asked.  “I can’t find the accelerator pedal, or the brake pedal. There’s a piece of wood where they are supposed to be.” “That’s them,?” said dad. “Just push on the block of wood. I made them especially for your test. Your legs are not long enough to reach the pedals, so that block of wood makes the pedal closer to you, and I also have a piece of wood under the pedal so you cannot go too fast..” Little Bo did not like that. “Just suppose some of my friends saw that. They would sure get a good laugh off that.” Little Bo sat on the ground, crossed his legs at his ankles, placed his elbows on his knees, and his chin cupped in his hands. “Get in and drive, or let’s go home,”  said Bo. Little Bo slowly got back up, walked over to the car, got in, and half heartedly cranked up the car, put the car in gear, and would you know it, straight back about twenty feet right into a large metal Trash Dumpster CRASH, BANG, WHAM-MO! I bet you could have heard it a mile. (My Mom almost lost it right there.) “I knew it,” said Little Bo, “It’s this two by four you have clamped on the gas pedal, that’s what’s wrong.” Bo, (my Dad) said, “The problem is, Little Bo, when you put the car in reverse, it usually goes backwards.” “Well, OK, that was my fault. I’m OK so I’ll try again.”   “Not right now,”  said Bo, “We have to call the Police.” “But Dad, Why? It’s just a big ugly metal Trash Dumpster.” That’s  right,”  said Bo, “But that Dumpster is someone’s property, and our vehicle hit it.”  “But Dad.”  “No, Little Bo, it has to be reported.” The Officer came and investigated and saw that there was no damage to the Dumpster, or to the vehicle. Bo explained to the officer what we were doing. “Good luck, Mr. Welch,” said the Officer, “I  will make a note of it in my log.’ Bo, (my Dad) said, “Now, let’s start over again. “Be careful Benjamin, pay attention to your Father.” My Mom said. (Mom will only use our proper name, and never a nic-name). So, now, Little Bo finally gets started. Chug-a-chug, stall, chug-chug, stall, on course off course, chug-chug, and stall. From the sidelines we cheered, “Come on Little Bo, you can do it! You’re doing great, Yea! Yea! Pretty soon Little Bo began to get the hang of it. My Dad just stood there in the middle of the parking lot, watching, shaking his head, and trying to give signals of some kind. Soon Little Bo was doing perfect figure eights in the middle of the parking lot. Dad called for the driving lesson to stop. Little Bo came to a stop. “Yea”we cheered,

You did great!  “You were right, Dad,” said Little Bo, “I could reach the pedals just fine.” Dad fixed the pedals back like they were supposed to be. Now Big Bo began to critique the driving lesson. “First, Little Bo, if your friends saw what we were doing and laughed about it, they are not your friends. Second, it does not matter that the Dumpster was big and ugly, it still belonged to someone else, and any damage we may have caused, we must make right. Third, the Police MUST be called in every vehicle accident, no matter how small. Fourth, Just look at the self respect that you earned when you said, “It was my fault..”We all gathered around in a huddle, and there hugged like we had just won the big game, AND WE HAD! And with a loud “THANK YOU JESUS” we left for home. On our way home, Little Bo sat there proudly by Big Bo. WHAT A DAY! May God Bless your Family as He has Blessed our Family.

                            Love, Amy Welch

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IF ONLY I COULD START ALL OVER AGAIN

      By Pastor George Mills

“I have been young, and now am old..”

                 (Psalm 37:25)

Some time ago I had the opportunity to speak to the World Religions Class at Florida Community College, in Jacksonville. I appreciated the opportunity. It is always great to share my Faith and Trust in Christ. Here is a brief outline of the things I had to say to the class.

IF I COULD START ALL OVER AGAIN, First, I sure hope that someone would take time to lead me to Christ at a very early age. I was saved at my 30 th birthday. I got down on my knees and asked Christ to save me. Christ did that. Since that day, I have tried to live right, to be a Christian Gentleman, to be a faithful husband and father. I have been privileged to share the Gospel in Missions, jails, wards, Hospitals, Churches, and Revivals. I have had the privilege of preaching the Gospel on mission fields by way of Missionary Radio with the CHURCH IN THE WILDWOOD BROADCAST which began in 1966. I have been able to write, print, publish, and distribute multiplied thousands of Gospel Tracts. And of Course this Publication, the WILDERNESS now 30 years young. These have been busy years. I say these things in order to bring out this point; LOOK AT THE WASTED YEARS! The best years wasted. If I could start all over again, I would not waste the years of youth.

SECOND. I would seek to find God’s Will for my life. I would want to settle that very early. It was not easy for me to settle on God’s Will. Other things had become very important in my life.

THIRD. I would seek the Spirit Filled Life. I would ask God daily to fill me with His Power for me to do His Will. So many times I have failed because I tried to do things my way, and not through the Power of the Holy Spirit.

FOURTH. I would devote myself to become a student of God’s Word. What a Wonderful Book God has given us. Yet is it so neglected. I would attend a solid, Fundamental Bible College and get as much Bible as I could.

FIFTH. I would find, and refine my talent. I would use it for the Glory and Honor of Christ. Everyone has a talent, an ability. It is unique.

I would go all the way. I would hold nothing back. I would give it my best shot. These are some of the things that I would do, IF I COULD START ALL OVER AGAIN, BUT I CAN’T. I wish that I could, but I can’t. So I’ll do the next best thing. I’ll do these things TODAY. In the best way I can. I’ll try to do God’s Will TODAY. I’ll study God’s Word TODAY. I’ll give Him what I have TODAY. Young person, don’t make the mistakes I made. Don’t have those “Wasted years.” Give your heart and life to Christ, TODAY!

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     The life I have is not my own,

              It now belongs to God alone,

    ‘Tis His to use as He knows best,

               His Perfect Will, my only rest.

     May others know, may others see,

             Christ alone revealed through me,

     My life I give to Him alone,

           Who gave for me His only Son.

                                          G. Mills