Hi Mike and Sandi,
God willing, the website will be finished this coming week. I have to translate a couple of more articles from the "After the Counsel of His will" series, and then the complete series is translated. I also translated some other articles as well.
How are you doing lately? I am doing fine; learning every day. I have been in China for ten days. There was a time when I diligently tried to save them from hellfire for all eternity, but when I walked in the streets of Xiamen, seeing all those friendly people, and friendly they are, struggling to make a living, I looked at them with very different eyes. I am thankful to our Father and our Savior for letting me see that this struggle is for a short time and that it is not up to me to bring them to Christ. Our Father will deal with them after the counsel of His own will, and I have no doubt in my mind that after the Lord tries them with fire at His chosen time, they will come and give glory to God. The peace I recieve from knowing this is equal to nothing else.
The translating goes slow but steady. I have a lot of work to do, and I also am communicating with some people about the doctrines of Christ.
We have a christian TV station here, and with it there is a TV magazine with the programming of the week and lots of articles from leading people. Couple of weeks ago there was this article concerning "hell" from one of those people, and I felt the urge to react on it, so I did. All I got in return was silence; not a single reaction. I also am in a kinda one-way conversation with the minister and two elders of the church I used to go to, and I always attach the guy of that TV station so he gets the emails also.
I got a reaction of my minister where he said that "eternal punishment" will be for those who die without knowing Christ is what the Scripture teaches. I reacted on it and again send it to that TV guy. This time I got a reaction. He asked me to send him no more emails. That's all he said. He did not even try to back up anything with scripture. It amazes me and also does not - kind of a contradiction here - that someone who writes all these words for so many to read can only react like he did. The minister also does not send me back anything, the elder which is responsible for the neighborhood I live in never ever reacted on anything I asked or said. My (former) friend, also an elder, is teaching children at bible class and sunday school, but does not talk to me anymore.
And Mike, I feel for them, I really do. I thank God that I understand that I have nothing of myself, and all is His gift, and I can't think of anything more precious than that gift.In Christ connected,
Robin
Hi R____,
It really is exciting anticipating your new site going on line. Please do not expect to be flooded with letters. That will not happen, but what will happen is that God will send you exactly who He wants to come to you. He has His own in "every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation."
Rev 5:9 And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation;What you need to do is to continue to "be prepared to given an answer
1Pe 3:15 But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear:
"Study to show yourself approved unto God," and these words will be true of you:
Mat 10:20 For it is not ye that speak, but the Spirit of your Father which speaketh in you.
2Ti 2:15 Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.
Being in China sure does sound very exciting, and I am most happy that you now see everyone as the brother they are, either in the first or in the last Adam. I think that you know that the only true Biblical definition of the word 'love' is "that we keep His commandments," and His commandment is that we "do good to all men, specially to them who are the household of faith." One of the main reasons Christ was so hated by "those Jews which believed on Him," was that he was not a militant patriot. Christ never encouraged resistance against Rome, or any other evil powers except the evil that is within us.
Mat 5:39 But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also.
That is how we are supposed to react to evil outside of the body. Here now is the evil which we are to resist:
Jas 4:7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
Jas 4:8 Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse [your] hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded.
That is the evil within, that is "your father the devil," whose children we all are first, within. It is a very rare person indeed, who can rise with Christ above the fray of this world and accept and appreciate the fact that we are called to be and are promised to "be hated of all men."
Mat 10:22 And ye shall be hated of all men for my name's sake: but he that endureth to the end shall be saved.
I admire your willingness to stand up and be counted for Christ. That is a gift from God. Of course it is always to be done "with meekness and fear," and never out of a puffed up spirit of pride, and if, after you see it is flatly rejected you continue to force the issue, I know you are aware that it become a matter of "casting your pearls before swine."
"Swine" are Christians who want Christ killed "because they cannot hear His words."
Joh 8:31 Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, [then] are ye my disciples indeed;
Joh 8:32 And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.
Joh 8:33 They answered him, We be Abraham's seed, and were never in bondage to any man: how sayest thou, Ye shall be made free?
Joh 8:34 Jesus answered them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin.
Joh 8:35 And the servant abideth not in the house for ever: [but] the Son abideth ever.
Joh 8:36 If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.
Joh 8:37 I know that ye are Abraham's seed; but ye seek to kill me, because my word hath no place in you.
Joh 8:43 Why do ye not understand my speech? even because ye cannot hear my word.
The ministers and teachers who reject you and do not even attempt to show you the error of your ways and do not want you to show them the error of their ways "cannot hear" these words of Christ:
Luk 21:15 For I will give you a mouth and wisdom, which all your adversaries shall not be able to gainsay nor resist.
Luk 21:16 And ye shall be betrayed both by parents, and brethren, and kinsfolks, and friends; and [some] of you shall they cause to be put to death.
Luk 21:17 And ye shall be hated of all [men] for my name's sake.
"For I will give you a mouth and wisdom, which all your adversaries shall not be able to gainsay nor resist." How does that compare to "send no more emails?" This is what always happens when those who have not been "given a mouth and wisdom, which their adversaries cannot gainsay or resist" are confronted by those who have been given such a mouth and wisdom. Those who could not gainsay or resist the words of Christ simply slapped him in the face. Those who could not gainsay the apostle Paul did the same. And that is what has happened here with you.
"Send no more e-mails" in response to "He is the propitiation for our sins and not for ours only but for the sins of the whole world," is nothing less than a 'slap in the face.'
This is not marketable material with which we have been endowed. It is designed exclusively for very "few" and it is specifically designed to "be hated of all men."
But do not be discouraged, because the suffering we endure now is not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. The response you have experienced is exactly what you were told to expect, when given a mouth and wisdom from God.
Rom 8:18 For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.
Luk 21:15 For I will give you a mouth and wisdom, which all your adversaries shall not be able to gainsay nor resist.
Luk 21:16 And ye shall be betrayed both by parents, and brethren, and kinsfolks, and friends; and [some] of you shall they cause to be put to death.
Luk 21:17 And ye shall be hated of all [men] for my name's sake.
Let me know when you go on line, and I will have Sandi to post a link on the IWWB home page. Who knows, there might be someone here in the U.S. who prefers to read the Dutch.
Your brother in Christ,Mike